The Aga Khan University (AKU) Medical College in East Africa and Pakistan have formally been admitted to the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies.
The M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies is the academic foundation of the World Health Summit. This unique network currently consists of 31 members worldwide, including the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), which represents the national academies of medicine and science in more than 100 countries.
Professor Lukoye Atwoli, Dean, AKU Medical College, East Africa said, “The M8 Alliance considers some of the most pressing global health problems afflicting all humanity, and during the Summits brings together experts from all over the world to deliberate on solutions. AKU is truly honoured to be in this high-level gathering that gives us the opportunity to contribute to solving global health problems, but also affords us an opportunity to network with our peers and share best practices."
The World Health Summit is the unique international strategic forum for global health. It brings together stakeholders from all sectors and all regions of the world to strengthen collaboration and open dialogue guided by science, to foster global health as a key political issue, and to promote the global health debate in the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Alliance is known as the academic backbone of the World Health Summit. Admittance into this Alliance of 30 other research-intensive entities recognizes the incredible impact that AKU has, both in how we teach and in the research we generate across diverse spheres of medicine, which in turn informs clinical care. Working together to advance the frontiers of science and education is an honour," said Dr Adil Haider, Dean, AKU Medical College, Pakistan.
The M8 Alliance was initiated by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany in 2009 during the first World Health Summit. The International Presidency of the World Health Summit rotates annually among members of the M8 Alliance.
Other members of the M8 Alliance include Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, Montreal Clinical Research Institute, Canada, National University of Singapore, University of Geneva, Switzerland amongst others.