Luncheon presentation by Julio Frenk, Dean, Harvard School of Public Health and Former Minister of Health, Mexico

Registration at 12:15 pm
Luncheon at 12:30 pm
Close at 2:00 pm

Research clearly shows that good health is not only intrinsically valued for its own sake, it also has a value in contributing to other socially worthy objectives. Good health is not only a consequence of economic growth — it is also a necessary condition for a country to enjoy sustained and sustainable economic expansion. Good health reduces poverty, improves educational performance, increases labor productivity, enhances the investment climate, and by doing all these things, stimulates economic growth. Productive investment in equitable, efficient, high quality health services has positive effects — while insufficient or inefficient investment has many negative effects.

Dr. Julio Frenk, former Minister of Health in Mexico and current Dean of Harvard School of Public Health, will speak about the important role of health reforms and social and economic policies in promoting health and wealth. He will also describe lessons learned about the connections between health and wealth around the globe, and how these lessons can be applied throughout Asia. In addition to serving as Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Frenk is also the T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development, at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Between 2000 and 2006, he was appointed Mexico's Minister of Health, where he launched a major reform effort towards universal health insurance. Dr. Frenk has also held leadership positions at the Mexican Health Foundation, the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2008, he received the Clinton Global Citizen Award for changing "the way practitioners and policy makers across the world think about health."