Abner Speaks at World Economic Forum Panel
I was honored to speak on a panel entitled "Impacting Health through
Multistakeholder Action", sponsored by the World Economic Forum
and Co-organized by the Pan American Health Organization and held
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 14 in conjunction with the Forum's
2009 Latin America Conference.
My talk was entitled "The NGO Perspective, Opportunities and
Challenges of Public-private Partnerships", and focused on the hurdles
that must be overcome to build effective sustainable public-private
partnerships to address the dramatic rise in chronic disease. Using
our successful effort to organize the business response to HIV/AIDS in
Mexico and Jamaica as an example, my talk addressed how we can
overcome the "trust gap" that exist between companies in the private
sector and their government and NGO counterparts.
Drawing on our experience developing CONAES and JaBCHA, the
first business councils on HIV/AIDS in Mexico and Jamaica
respectively is a particularly appropriate way to demonstrate the
difficulties of building this type of health related public-private
partnership.
After we identified workplace related stigma and discrimination as
barriers to effective prevention efforts and began our work to organize
the business response, we had difficulty getting support for this type of
public-private partnership. The government agencies that would
typically fund AIDS work were reluctant to support us because they did
not want to be seen as "funding the private sector". The NGO's that
would typically support anti-AIDS stigma programs were reluctant to
support us because they felt companies "and the discrimination they
tolerated" was the problem. Finally, the companies themselves were
reluctant to join our effort because they felt they had "already lost their
employees trust on this issue and it was too late" to change opinions.
Fortunately this story has a happy ending and we were able to
convince all the players to work with us to build trust, honor
commitments and deliver results. Both HIV/AIDS business councils
have grown in membership and outreach and now serve as platforms
for the business community in each country to take a leadership role in
the fight against HIV.
I believe no approach to providing universal access to quality
health-care is sustainable without effective prevention programs, and
given the role companies play in the provision of health-care to their
employees, it is clear to me that companies must be part of the
solution if prevention efforts are to be effective and sustainable.
Through workplace wellness programs and other efforts, companies
can take a leadership role in the effort to control and prevent chronic
disease, but it will often require working in partnership with government
and civil society. That is why learning how to create these
public-private partnerships is so important.
Other speakers on the panel addressed the need for increased access
to quality health-care, healthier foods, information communication and
advocacy, and workplace wellness.
Many company representatives from Brazil, Mexico and the Latin
America region were in attendance and I was encouraged by their
eagerness to hear about and implement workplace based programs to
improve their employees health and lower their health-care cost.
I believe Corporate Responsibility Partner's Mexico Workplace
Wellness Initiative will become a model for the region and that our
results will demonstrate that wellness programs deliver improved
health and lower cost.
I was honored to speak on a panel entitled "Impacting Health through
Multistakeholder Action", sponsored by the World Economic Forum
and Co-organized by the Pan American Health Organization and held
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 14 in conjunction with the Forum's
2009 Latin America Conference.
My talk was entitled "The NGO Perspective, Opportunities and
Challenges of Public-private Partnerships", and focused on the hurdles
that must be overcome to build effective sustainable public-private
partnerships to address the dramatic rise in chronic disease. Using
our successful effort to organize the business response to HIV/AIDS in
Mexico and Jamaica as an example, my talk addressed how we can
overcome the "trust gap" that exist between companies in the private
sector and their government and NGO counterparts.
Drawing on our experience developing CONAES and JaBCHA, the
first business councils on HIV/AIDS in Mexico and Jamaica
respectively is a particularly appropriate way to demonstrate the
difficulties of building this type of health related public-private
partnership.
After we identified workplace related stigma and discrimination as
barriers to effective prevention efforts and began our work to organize
the business response, we had difficulty getting support for this type of
public-private partnership. The government agencies that would
typically fund AIDS work were reluctant to support us because they did
not want to be seen as "funding the private sector". The NGO's that
would typically support anti-AIDS stigma programs were reluctant to
support us because they felt companies "and the discrimination they
tolerated" was the problem. Finally, the companies themselves were
reluctant to join our effort because they felt they had "already lost their
employees trust on this issue and it was too late" to change opinions.
Fortunately this story has a happy ending and we were able to
convince all the players to work with us to build trust, honor
commitments and deliver results. Both HIV/AIDS business councils
have grown in membership and outreach and now serve as platforms
for the business community in each country to take a leadership role in
the fight against HIV.
I believe no approach to providing universal access to quality
health-care is sustainable without effective prevention programs, and
given the role companies play in the provision of health-care to their
employees, it is clear to me that companies must be part of the
solution if prevention efforts are to be effective and sustainable.
Through workplace wellness programs and other efforts, companies
can take a leadership role in the effort to control and prevent chronic
disease, but it will often require working in partnership with government
and civil society. That is why learning how to create these
public-private partnerships is so important.
Other speakers on the panel addressed the need for increased access
to quality health-care, healthier foods, information communication and
advocacy, and workplace wellness.
Many company representatives from Brazil, Mexico and the Latin
America region were in attendance and I was encouraged by their
eagerness to hear about and implement workplace based programs to
improve their employees health and lower their health-care cost.
I believe Corporate Responsibility Partner's Mexico Workplace
Wellness Initiative will become a model for the region and that our
results will demonstrate that wellness programs deliver improved
health and lower cost.
Edward Kadunc, Executive
Director of the Pan American
Health and Education
Foundation. Ed previously
served as Mission Director for
USAID in Mexico where he was a
key supporter for AIDS
Responsibility Project's
successful effort to develop
CONAES, the first business
council on HIV/AIDS in Mexico.
Director of the Pan American
Health and Education
Foundation. Ed previously
served as Mission Director for
USAID in Mexico where he was a
key supporter for AIDS
Responsibility Project's
successful effort to develop
CONAES, the first business
council on HIV/AIDS in Mexico.
(from left) Chris Gray, Director
of International Policy for Pfizer,
Sofi Bergkvist, Director of
Health Care Management,
Emerging Markets Solutions
Initiative, Indian School of
Business, and Michael Seo,
Associate Director, Healthcare
Industries and Global
Leadership Fellow for the World
Economic Forum.
of International Policy for Pfizer,
Sofi Bergkvist, Director of
Health Care Management,
Emerging Markets Solutions
Initiative, Indian School of
Business, and Michael Seo,
Associate Director, Healthcare
Industries and Global
Leadership Fellow for the World
Economic Forum.
Rodrigo Calderon, Vice President,
Public Affairs and Communications
for Coca Cola Latin America.
Public Affairs and Communications
for Coca Cola Latin America.
Dr. James Hospedales,
Coordinator of Chronic Disease
Prevention and Control
Program, Pan American Health
Organization. Dr. Hospedales is
leading the effort within PAHO
to develop the Partners Forum
which will serve as PAHO's link
to the private sector for it's
chronic disease program.
Coordinator of Chronic Disease
Prevention and Control
Program, Pan American Health
Organization. Dr. Hospedales is
leading the effort within PAHO
to develop the Partners Forum
which will serve as PAHO's link
to the private sector for it's
chronic disease program.
World Economic Forum participants
in Rio de Janeiro April 14, 2009
(from left) Dr. Fabio Mataveki,
Johnson & Johnson, Fernando
Coelho Neto, CNI/SESI, Dr. Eva
Jane-Llopis, Director of the WEF
Wellness Initiative and Chronic
Disease Prevention Program,
Edward Kadunc, Pan American
Health and Education Foundation,
Dr. James Hospedales, PAHO, and
Abner Mason, CEO, Corporate
Responsibility Partners
in Rio de Janeiro April 14, 2009
(from left) Dr. Fabio Mataveki,
Johnson & Johnson, Fernando
Coelho Neto, CNI/SESI, Dr. Eva
Jane-Llopis, Director of the WEF
Wellness Initiative and Chronic
Disease Prevention Program,
Edward Kadunc, Pan American
Health and Education Foundation,
Dr. James Hospedales, PAHO, and
Abner Mason, CEO, Corporate
Responsibility Partners
(from left) Chris Gray, Director of
International Policy for Pfizer,
Sofi Bergkvist, Director of Health
Care Management, Emerging
Markets Solutions Initiative,
Indian School of Business, and
Abner Mason, CEO Corporate
Responsibility Partners.
International Policy for Pfizer,
Sofi Bergkvist, Director of Health
Care Management, Emerging
Markets Solutions Initiative,
Indian School of Business, and
Abner Mason, CEO Corporate
Responsibility Partners.
(from left) Kathleen M.A. Laya,
Director, Government Affairs for
GSK Brazil, Micheline Marie
Milward de Azevedo Meiners, for
PAHO in Brazil, Dr. James
Hospedales, PAHO, Rogerio
Ribeiro, Vice President for Latin
America for GSK, Dr. Eva
Jane-Llopis, Director of the WEF
Wellness Initiative and Chronic
Disease Prevention Program, and
Edward Kadunc, Executive
Director of the Pan American
Health and Education Foundation.
Director, Government Affairs for
GSK Brazil, Micheline Marie
Milward de Azevedo Meiners, for
PAHO in Brazil, Dr. James
Hospedales, PAHO, Rogerio
Ribeiro, Vice President for Latin
America for GSK, Dr. Eva
Jane-Llopis, Director of the WEF
Wellness Initiative and Chronic
Disease Prevention Program, and
Edward Kadunc, Executive
Director of the Pan American
Health and Education Foundation.
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Abner Mason Founder & CEO, Corporate Responsibility Partners, LLC
"workplace wellness strategy for emerging markets"
"workplace wellness strategy for emerging markets"