The first meeting of the public healthcare expert group took place on 21 June 2018, organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Higher School of Healthcare Management and Administration, the Eurasian Integration Scientific Centre and EY. Analysts, scientists, physicians, representatives of Russian and foreign pharmaceutical companies, and industry associations joined the expert group. The topic of the meeting was summed up as ‘From Production to Consumption: Approaches to Improve Accessibility of Medicinal Drugs in the Russian Federation’.

Alexander Stuglev, the Director of the Roscongress Foundation, addressed the meeting participants. He emphasized, that as the major organizer of international conventions, exhibitions, and public events, the Foundation works hand in hand with the expert community on their programmes.

“Now we are ready to take the next step: to organize regular expert groups that would primarily discuss the practical issues affecting different sectors of economy,” said Alexander Stuglev. “Based on the results of their work the Roscongress Foundation will draft its events’ programmes and organize relevant industry discussion sessions. In addition, summaries and recommendations will be forwarded to the Presidnetial Executive Office, the Government of the Russian Federation, relevant ministries and departments”.

According to Alexander Stuglev, the format of an expert club would assist establishing an independent industry expert community and networking within and between working groups.

Topics like the development of healthcare, medicine and pharmaceuticals regularly come up at the major events of the Roscongress Foundation. Notably, the summary of the healthcare expert group meeting will become the basis for the development of a business programme for a new forum dedicated to the promotion of a healthy society, which for the first time is to be organized on the starting day of the Russian Investment Forum in February 2019 in Sochi.