Medical Devices

First Global Forum on Medical Devices A regional medical hub in Asia, Thailand hosted the World Health Organization’s (WHO) First Global Forum on Medical Devices; held in Bangkok from 9 to 11 September. It was a gathering of more than 350 leading health experts from over 100 countries who came together to review new evidence and agree on ways in which developing countries could improve their access to medical devices.

WHO Director Dr. Margaret Chan stated in her address to the forum that “Health officials and hospital managers in all countries, at all levels of development, need guidance….We are here to help set the agenda for a more rational approach to the acquisition and use of medical devices in their full range of applications.”

According to WHO, there are approximately 10,500 different types of medical devices on the market, ranging from high-tech diagnostic equipment to basic technologies. They also report that “revenue from sales of medical devices worldwide was estimated at US210 billion for 2008.”

In fact, a WHO report entitled Medical Devices: Managing the Mismatch, An outcome of the Priority Medical Devices Project, lists Thailand as 8th for sales for medical devices among middle income countries. The Thai Medical Device Industry Association forecasts the Thai market will reach US$1.2 billion by the year 2015.

The meeting ended with a call for innovative technologies aimed at “identifying and evaluating innovative medical devices, either existing or under development, which address global health concerns and which are likely to be accessible, appropriate and affordable for use in low- and middle-income countries.” The call is open to manufacturers, institutions, universities, governments, individuals and non-profit organizations, with one submission per applicant being accepted.

Thailand’s strength in medical devices continues to grow and the country is increasingly being recognized around the world as a place for investments in health care.