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‘Healthy Life’ Area to Operate at SPIEF for the First Time

29 May 2019

The “Healthy Life” Area will be in operation for the first time as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. It is a specialized platform for discussing key issues for improving quality of life and increasing life expectancy. As part of the ‘Healthy Life’ business programme, a number of business sessions, a foresight lecture, and the presentation of the winning projects of the ‘Healthy Life’ Innovative Solutions Contest will take place at the ‘Healthy Life’ Area.

“Health is a recurrent theme for SPIEF and is a logical continuation of the Healthy Life. Towards 80+ Forum. Increasing the healthy life expectancy of Russian citizens is a strategic task, and representatives of the authorities and the expert community should unite to resolve it. A healthy society is possible only with an integrated approach, and the inclusion of the topic of health in the business programme of the Forum will make it possible to combine the efforts of all stakeholders to achieve the goal”, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov said.

A key session of the ‘Healthy Life’ programme will be devoted to the issue of non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases, which account for more than 70% of all deaths in the world, create a significant barrier to healthy aging and longevity. It is possible to build an effective public policy aimed at increasing the life expectancy of citizens with proper control of the four main causes of death from non-communicable diseases: circulatory system diseases, oncological illnesses, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. Russia's great potential for reducing mortality from non-communicable diseases is largely related to the implementation of the national Health project. The session will be moderated by Director of the Project Department of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation David Melik-Guseinov with the participation of Director of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Andrey Kaprin, Deputy Scientific Director, Lomonosov Moscow State University Clinic; Member of the Board, Russian Society of Cardiology; Cardiologist; Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Simon Matskeplishvili, and Deputy Head of the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation Nelly Naigovzina.

Another important topic on the ‘Healthy Life’ programme is immunization and the concept of “life course immunization”, actively employed in developed countries and aimed at creating a unified integrated approach to human vaccination throughout life. The session will be moderated by Member of the Committee on Budget and Taxes of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Airat Farrakhov with participation from speakers and panellists such as First Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation Tatyana Yakovleva, Director of the Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at UNAIDS Vinay Patrick Saldanha, Head of the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) Anna Popova, Executive Vice President, Director for Patient Interaction, Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy and MSD Population Health Department Julie Gerberding, and Head of the Executive Committee of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, Leila Namazova-Baranova.

“Vaccination is one of the most effective types of investment we can make in health; in developing countries it leads to a reduction in the burden of a number of infectious diseases. It is possible to increase the duration and quality of life of citizens through the widespread use of innovative vaccines, including those aimed at preventing diseases and maintaining the health of the adult population, whose immunity naturally decreases over the course of life. As part of the discussion, we will look at fostering multilateral communication and trust in the implementation of immunization programmes, how vaccines can limit the spread of antibiotic resistance, and whether life-long vaccination can become the new ‘norm’ along with healthy eating and smoking cessation”, Anna Popova said.

Representatives of government and business from several regions of the Russian Federation will discuss what actions need to be taken at the regional level and how local business can contribute to the increase in life expectancy among Russians as part of the ‘Healthy regions: projects and best practices’ discussion.

The ‘Demographic Challenges of the 21st Century: Increasing the Birth Rate and Promoting Children’s Health Are Key Priorities’ session will see discussions around measures for state guarantees to change the demographic situation and popularize the family as an institution and the problems facing children's health care in Russia. Participants will include Maxim Topilin, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Yakovleva, First Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Gennady Sukhikh, Director, Kulakov Federal Medical Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, and others.

Leading domestic and foreign experts, scientists, and government and business representatives will talk about how prevention, timely diagnosis, the introduction of gold treatment standards, a healthy lifestyle, and a responsible attitude to one’s own health can help increase life expectancy to 80 years and also significantly reduce state costs for the treatment of preventable diseases in the “How to Cheat Time: New Approaches in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine” session.

In the ‘Healthy Life’ Area, SPIEF participants will be able to travel to different parts of the world with virtual reality glasses in the bright, green VR zone, to bask in the sun’s rays without leaving the pavilion thanks to Artificial Sun technology, and to take a genetic test. The Healthy Food Area will ensure no one forgets proper nutrition.


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