Electronic Health Reporter

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The 2013 mHealth Summit will feature a unique six session track devoted entirely to the issue of Global Health, showcasing the applications of mobile technology in a global setting, with a particular emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. As the largest global conference and expo focused on the intersection of mobile/wireless and healthcare delivery, the 5^th Annual Summit will convene organizations, speakers and attendees from 60 countries across every sector – including NGOs, government and the private industry – for the Global Health track and other programming focused on the role that mobile technologies play in improving health outcomes around the world.

The Global Health track will include sessions on a broad range of topics including proven approaches and lessons learned in the field from countries in Africa, Latin America, the Middle-East and Southeast Asia, and discussions on women’s empowerment and managing aging and chronic diseases. Global organizations – such as the Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria, UNICEF, USAID, CARE, BBC Media Action, Praekelt Foundation, Pfizer, Qualcomm and many more – will be represented. The mHealth Alliance, an organization dedicated to championing the use of mobile technologies to improve health throughout the world and an organizing partner of the Summit, will be leading the development of Global Health programming for the second year running. A detailed overview of the Global Health track can be found here: http://www.mhealthsummit.org/program-details/global-health-track.

Key speakers who will address the topic of global health include:

• Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner & Grameen Movement Founder (Keynote speaker)
• Robert Fabricant, Frog Design Vice President of Creative
• Jill Sheffield, Women Deliver President
• Jack Andracka, 16 year-old inventor and TED 2013 speaker

“More people have access to mobile phones than working toilets, according to the United Nations. This is a dramatic example of the ubiquity of mobile devices in low-resource settings that also demonstrates the pivotal role that mHealth can play in reaching key milestones for global health and development, such as the Millennium Development Goals,” said Patricia Mechael, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance. “With less than 800 days left to achieve these goals, the moment to capitalize on mHealth’s momentum and push to see mobile technology fully mainstreamed into health systems in low and middle income countries is now – and the mHealth Summit is uniquely positioned to be a driving force within this movement. As we celebrate the Summit’s fifth year, and the Alliance’s fifth anniversary, we have many achievements to celebrate, and we can look forward to continued progress in the years to come.”

“The mHealth Summit is the only event of its kind that draws such a diverse collection of speakers and organizations across the various public, private and non-profit sectors of the world,” said Rich Scarfo, Vice President, Events at HIMSS Media and Director of the mHealth Summit. “The Global Health track, open side sessions and several other program offerings will explore the lessons we have learned and ways to ensure that mHealth will have a place in the post-2015 international development agenda.”

Registration is open now for the 2013 mHealth Summit taking place December 8-11, 2013 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in the Washington, D.C. area. Agenda details can be found at www.mhealthsummit.org. Additional speakers and special events will be announced leading up to the Summit; keep up with Summit news @mhealthsummit and join the conversation using #mHealth13.

About the mHealth Summit
The 2013 mHealth Summit, the global convener of the expanding mobile health ecosystem, explores the disruptions, challenges and opportunities of the expanding integration of mobile and wireless technologies into the healthcare system, and in consumer and patient engagement, for the delivery of better health outcomes. The 5^th Annual mHealth Summit will take place December 8-11, 2013 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in the Washington, D.C. area. The mHealth Summit is presented by HIMSS, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the mHealth Alliance and the Foundation for the NIH. For more information, visit www.mhealthsummit.org; and follow at @mhealthsummit or #mHealth13.

About the mHealth Alliance
The mHealth Alliance leverages the game-changing potential of mobile technology in pursuit of transformed health outcomes for billions of the world’s most vulnerable people. To this end, the mHealth Alliance brings together experts from every sector — health, government, technology, development — to spark new connections and drive collective action for mainstreaming mHealth. Hosted by the United Nations Foundation, the mHealth Alliance’s founding partners include Norad, Rockefeller Foundation, Vodafone Foundation and the GSM Association. The Alliance also powers Health Unbound (HUB), a global online interactive network and knowledge resource center, and serves as a strategic partner to the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) and mPowering Frontline Health Workers. For more information, please visit http://www.mHealthAlliance.org.