Högnivå studiebesök från Ukraina lockar svenska bolag

Svenska ambassaden i Kiev anordnar tillsammans med Swecare ett intensivt program i Uppsala, Stockholm, Södertälje och Linköping med målet att lära sig mer om svensk sjukvårdsledning, få insikter om vilka tekniska lösningar som företagen erbjuder och hur dessa appliceras i den svenska vården. Speciellt fokus för delegationen är cancer-vård, även om  intresset även är stort för infrastruktur investeringar då landet genomgår en sjukvårdsreform.

Välkomstpresentationen hölls av statssekreterare Agneta Karlsson på Socialdepartementet där hon bl.a. förtydligade regeringens stöd i reformarbetet och att Sverige är den tionde största investeraren i Ukraina. Detta uppskattades utav viceminister Olexandr Linchevsky, Ministry of Health of Ukraine som presenterade om de stora framsteg landet gjort de senaste åren inom sjukvårdsområdet både gällande ny infrastruktur, nya differentierade betalningsmodeller enligt pay-for-service model, samt det breda folkliga stöd man lyckats samla för att genomföra fritt-vårdval s.k. ”electronic declaration”. I detta ingår val av familjeläkare, nationella e-register, patientjournaler, och att så småningom bli helt harmoniserat och följa europeiska kvalitetsstandarder och semantik.  För att lyckas med detta ambitiösa mål har man stort behov av att öppna upp marknaden för utländska bolag som kan bidra med sina produkter, tjänster och kompetens.

Därefter fick viceministern och den stora delegationen (bestående av bl.a. direktörer och chefer från regionala sjukvårdsgivare, cancerkliniker och svenska life science bolag i Ukraina) ta del av en informativ presentation av Mona Heurgren och Anna Mattsson på Socialstyrelsen om deras uppgift, nationella register och hur de arbetar med data, guidelines och screening-program.

Därefter blev det en presentation av Andriy Beznosenko, chefsläkare på National Institute of Cancer of Ukraine om förekomsten av cancer och den nationella cancerstrategin. Där han betonade att även om landet gjort stora framsteg de senaste åren återstår stora investeringar inom cancervården för att närma sig kapaciteteten och kvaliteten för motsvarande länder. Ett tema som även Alla Sheptitska på Elekta och Tim Thurn, VD på C-Rad återkom till och gjorde bl.a. jämförelser med Polen.

Men innan företagspresentationerna var det svensk fika och Ylva Wide från eHälsomyndigheten som berättade om deras uppdrag med e-recept, men även om patientjournaler och delning av hälsodata diskuterades och deltagarna var imponerade av vision eHälsa2025 som lyftes som ett viktigt policyverktyg.

 Sammantaget är det uppenbart att det finns ett stort intresse för svensk kompetens och att en nybyggaranda finns i Ukraina när system måste byggas upp från grunden.

New opportunities in Canada for European companies when CETA – free trade agreement was presented

This year has been a year of changes on many levels globally, and for companies these have formed both opportunities and threats, and most of all a need to learn how these changes affect the market attractiveness to make informed decisions.  However, as HE Heather Grant the Ambassador of Canada to Sweden in her opening speech expressed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union (CETA) is a very progressive free trade agreement that by eliminating tariffs and reducing barriers is a mutual good for both Canada and Sweden. This sentiment was shared by Agneta Karlsson, State Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs that reminded us that both nation share an interest in an open trade-friendly world order and strive for progress in the healthcare area for all citizens.

The seminars started with on overview of the Canadian Healthcare sector by Ebba Hult from Business Sweden where she showed the solid growth of imports of Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals to Canada, so while the Canadian market is still a relatively small importer of Swedish solutions with heavy reliance on USA and Germany, this sector is a growing market for Swedish companies to export to. So regardless of the free trade agreement the macroeconomic factors are in favor.

Didier Culat and Tuba Yamac from BCF business law then explained how companies should prepare for entering the Canadian market and how CETA effects life science companies, with Tuba focusing mainly on the changes in Intellectual Property procedures and changes, and how differences and harmonization effects companies in USA, Canada, UK and EU. So while the central aspects had to do with elimination of custom tariffs and controlling the origins of the products, there were lots of lessons learnt on things to consider upon a North American entry regarding labour mobility, sub-national procurement opportunities and how to strategically select your company location depending on which markets you are targeting.  With Quebec and Ontario having the largest life science clusters and getting the bulk of investments it was pleasing to hear from the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs that Annika Strandhäll will head to Toronto in May 2018.

Bienvenue au Canada! Welcome to Canada!

9th Session for the Indo-Swedish Joint Working Group on Health

Often referred to as the most successful MoU in our joint arsenal, the healthcare cooperation has done much to bring India and Sweden closer. Though vastly different demographically, our countries share similar challenges due to a very decentralized governance structure and a large percentage of our populations living far from health care centers. As such, many of the common challenges we face can only be overcome through collaboration and cooperation. In the coming year, ahead of the MoU's 10th anniversary, it was decided during the actual Joint Working Group meeting to take stock on what has been accomplished and explore new areas of collaboration.

For the private sector, this means we need more clarity on the recent bevy of policy changes. Although these changes for the large part have improved the business climate, they are quite confusing not only for the Swedes but Indian themselves. The Indian delegation, which included a senior representative from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), very generously shared their business cards with the Swedish companies present for the roundtable and assured each and every one of them to personally call in case of any issues.

The delegation also got a chance to see some of the Swedish products in use at Akademiska in Uppsala and was much impressed by the extremely close collaboration between professors, researchers, medical professionals, investors, and industry. While the Indian government representatives understood that these are the ingredients making Sweden such fertile ground for innovation, they had never truly appreciated how tightly, both physically and intellectually, these actors work together. This was further emphasized during their visit to EMPE Diagnostics at the Karolinska Science Park with which they ended the trip.

Going forward, Swecare, at the behest of some of our members, will focus on:

1. the inclusion of quality criteria in public healthcare tenders - looking in not just the lowest, but the total cost, and
2. exemptions based on global health threats (such as AMR which features prominently in the new Indian National Health Policy) for the price caps being introduced for certain Medtech products by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority.

We are also working to ensure more continuity in our activities with India. Part of this will be through regularly planned trips to India and the cultivation of relationships with potential partners on the ground. If you have any suggestions or requests, do get in touch. India is a vast, and often overwhelming, country but the rewards for successful partnership could eventually affect the national and global health threats facing both Sweden and India - not to mention improve the lives of people.