GENEVA: The Government of the Republic of Korea, Unitaid, and the Stop TB Partnership convened a high-level side event on “Accelerating Health Innovations” on the margins of the 78th World Health Assembly with a diverse group of country and global stakeholders and partners, including leading South Korean innovators. The gathering spotlighted the critical role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in tackling tuberculosis (TB), HIV, malaria, and other pressing public health challenges.
Ambassador Seong Deok Yun, representing the Government of the Republic of Korea, highlighted Korea’s transformation from an aid recipient to one of donor in global health.
“We are at a pivotal moment,” said Ambassador Yun. “With global health landscapes rapidly evolving, innovation and strong partnerships—especially with the private sector—are more important than ever to drive impactful, sustainable solutions.”
The event featured a dynamic “Innovation Showcase” from five leading South Korean innovators—Bioneer Corp., Boditech Med Inc., Noul Co., Ltd., Poskom, and SD Biosensor, Inc.—who presented breakthrough solutions ranging from artificial intelligence-compatible chest X-ray devices for TB screening, rapid molecular diagnostics, to integrated systems for point-of-care testing.
Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, and Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, emphasized the need to turn innovation into impact through practical, scalable solutions tailored to the real-world needs of low- and middle-income countries.
“In times of global uncertainty, the choice we have is either to complain or to act — and I choose action,” said Dr. Duneton. “TB remains both deadly and neglected. However, recent innovations in TB are game changers. We must continue to advocate and innovate, ensuring equitable access through effective regulation.”
“There’s no time for complacency,” said Dr. Ditiu. “Ending TB and other infectious diseases requires working smarter, together, and ensuring that innovation is matched with accessibility, affordability, and political will.”
A key announcement during the event was the launch of a new agreement with a South Korean manufacturer to provide ultraportable chest X-ray systems for TB screening at 60% of the cost of similar quality devices on the market. These lightweight, easy-to-use devices bring TB screening to remote areas, reaching people who may not have access to health facilities. This pricing breakthrough—facilitated by Unitaid and CHAI—is expected to enable wider deployment of these health innovation tools across high-burden countries and marks a major milestone in democratizing access to cutting-edge TB diagnostic tools.
Country leaders and civil society, and community representatives from Kenya, Ghana, India, Vietnam, and Zambia delivered powerful testimonies on the importance of aligning innovation with the realities of health systems.
Keynote speakers and presenters emphasized that the development of new health innovations must start by listening to countries and end users, ensuring their needs, priorities, and long-term vision are embedded from the outset. Equitable access must be placed at the center of all solutions.
The event concluded with a “Fishbowl Exchange” where diverse voices from governments, civil society and communities, local implementers, private sector, and global health agencies engaged in open dialogue on actionable next steps—underscoring that innovation must be people-centered and partnerships must be rooted in trust, transparency, and shared purpose.
