The goal of the Pacific Health Summit is to connect science, industry, and policy for a healthier world. Every June we invite top decision-makers in science, policy, industry, medicine, and public health to Seattle to discuss how to realize the dream of a healthier future through the effective utilization of scientific advances combined with appropriate policies for prevention, early detection, and early treatment of disease. And each year we focus our discussion on an issue of critical importance; in 2008, the Summit addressed the challenge of global nutrition, and in 2007 the theme was pandemic influenza.

In 2009, we will take up the important topic of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) as a major global health threat. The world faces 500,000 cases of MDR-TB each year—we are knowingly committing to a future epidemic of untreatable disease if we fail to act now. Our challenge is to strengthen existing approaches to basic TB control and MDR-TB management, and break through existing bottlenecks around technology development and treatment implementation in both developed and developing country health systems. The 2009 Summit in June provides the opportunity for top leaders to come together to tackle how science, industry, and policy can accelerate the uptake of innovation to address this emerging global health threat.

The Summit is a year-round process. In addition to the June meeting, the Summit provides an ongoing forum for world leaders to improve health by working together to grapple with problems and solutions, share best practices, and forge effective collaborations.