The GHA/LAV expert group Latin America was established in 2021 as part of the Memorandum of Understanding from 2016 between the German Health Alliance and the “Lateinamerika Verein”. The aim of this MoU is to promote joint projects, provide political support for specific issues and to offer our members important information about the LATAM region.

This means that LAV’s experience and knowledge of the region with its contacts there, meet the sector-specific expertise and reach of the German Health Alliance.

In 2021, the partnership of both alliances gained new momentum through the establishment of this expert group with focus on the healthcare sector. A survey was conducted on the most urgent topics of this sector and the first approaches for the expert group were discussed during the meeting. Participants came from Mexico, Brazil, and all over Germany. Since healthcare is an important market in Latin America, not only since the pandemic, but also for medical devices, for example, we are pleased to be able to offer our members a forum for this region and industry.

The chair of the expert group is held by Eeva Karsta, Director Government Relations at Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA and by Petra Hoheisel, Senior Manager at Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA.

Among others, the objectives of our expert group are the exchange on current topics with relevant actors on Latin America, and the preparation of position papers. The LAV-position paper “Mastering global challenges together with Latin America – FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GERMAN POLICY” for the new German government will be complemented by the expert group on healthcare recommendations.

The work of this group is based on active input of participating companies and aims to be close to challenges in the market and actual business opportunities. The group meets twice a year and organizes events on main topics as “Financing your business in Latin America,” “Registration & Licenses” – with the presence of ANVISA (Brazil) – and “Supply chains in Latin America in terms of corporate sustainability due diligence”.

With this expert group we will continue to bundle the activities in the healthcare sector of Latin America with the German Health Alliance and the Latin America Verein.

• Two meetings a year, held jointly with the Latin America Association e.V. (LAV)
• Preparation, support and implementation of delegation visits (incoming & outgoing)
• Close interaction with the other GHA expert groups and GHA working groups
• Jour fixe of the Working Group co-chairs with the Board of Directors
• Short report of the working group by the co-chairs within the framework of the annual GHA members’ meeting
• Establishment and use of an own e-mail distribution list Latin America for the Working Group members via GHA website and newsletter