by Helen Medina

February marks American Heart Month, a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 801,000 people in the U.S. died from heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in 2013. That’s about one of every three deaths. The direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke total more than $316.6 billion, including health expenditures and lost productivity. 

As innovators and employers, companies are only as strong as the communities that they work in and serve, and they are committed to offering and developing essential medicines and technological solutions for consumers.

USCIB’s members understand the importance of health and wellness, both for their employees and for the wider communities in which they operate, because healthy, happy employees are more productive. Many U.S. companies are innovators when it comes to promoting heart health, in addition to supporting a holistic approach to health and wellness. As innovators and employers, companies are only as strong as the communities that they work in and serve, and they are committed to offering and developing essential medicines and technological solutions for consumers. Additionally, companies are forging innovative public-private partnerships that educate and encourage populations to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles, while also investing in new technologies and innovations that fight diseases.

Given the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the private sector’s role in helping achieve this, USCIB has been working with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) to organize a Forum on Innovation in Health and Well-Being from May 3-4. This forum will inform discussions for OECD Health Ministers when they meet in 2017 to discuss the next generation of health reforms.

The BIAC Forum will provide an opportunity to:

• Exchange solutions and policy recommendations with high-level representatives from the business community, governments and leading voices in the field.
• Learn more about the innovations and on-the-ground partnerships private sector is undertaking.
• Explore how healthy populations can be a strong pillar for increased economic productivity and societal well-being.

Please stay tuned as we continue developing the program for this Forum. Due to limited space, the event is by invitation only.

Read last month’s USCIB Health Blog entry, We’ve All Got to Work Together on Global Health Challenges