Pacific Health Summit focuses on avian-flu pandemic

Center News

Photo by Dean Forbes Pacific Health Summit Executive Director Dr. Michael Birt (at podium) welcomed attendees to the third annual event in Seattle. Dr. Lee Hartwell, Center president and director, and Dr. Tachi Yamada of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, also addressed the 300-member audience.

Dr. Michael Birt, (at the podium) Pacific Health Summit executive director and director of the Center for Health and Aging at the National Bureau of Asian Research, welcomed 300 attendees to the third annual event. Dr. Lee Hartwell, Center president and director, and Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the global-health program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also spoke during the opening plenary session. The three organizations are joint presenters of the summit, which focused on how Pacific Rim countries can prepare for and handle an avian-flu pandemic.

Summit highlights included attendance by World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan and an announcement by drug maker Eli Lilly of a new Seattle-based public-private partnership to conduct early phase discovery of new medicines to treat tuberculosis.

Center News Table of Contents