GENEVA, 15 May 2026 – Professor Dr. Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of Partners in Population and Development (PPD), held a high-level bilateral meeting with Mr. Pradeep Kakkattil, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx), on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting marked a significant step forward in forging a formal institutional partnership between the two organisations, with wide-ranging implications for health innovation, financing, and South-South Cooperation across the Global South.
The discussions were substantive and forward-looking, covering four major areas of potential collaboration that reflect the complementary mandates and shared vision of PPD and HIEx in advancing equitable access to health innovation for developing countries. A central outcome of the meeting was the agreement in principle to formalise the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The proposed MoU would provide an institutional framework for collaboration across three strategic pillars: the identification and deployment of innovative health technologies among PPD Member States including AI-enabled ultrasound, remote surgical care, gene therapy for cancer treatment, and new diagnostics; the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms such as blended finance instruments and technical assistance funds to build a robust ecosystem for health innovation and climate-resilient health systems; and joint convening and event organisation to promote South-South and Triangular Cooperation on health innovation at major international platforms including the World Health Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly, and the World Economic Forum. The HIEx legal team will prepare a non-financial MoU for joint review, with both parties expressing readiness to proceed to signature at the earliest opportunity.
In a particularly significant development, Mr. Kakkattil confirmed that HIEx would be pleased to host the PPD Representative Office in Geneva at the HIEx premises, providing office space and logistical support as required. HIEx also offered to assist in the identification and recommendation of potential candidates for the PPD Representative position in Geneva, and in New York as needed. This offer represents a concrete and immediate step toward strengthening PPD’s institutional presence in Geneva, a critical hub of global health governance.
Both leaders concluded the meeting with a strong sense of shared purpose and mutual commitment to translating the outcomes of their discussions into concrete and impactful results. The United Nations General Assembly in September 2026 was identified as the next key milestone for joint engagement, with plans underway for a collaborative event on the margins of UNGA. The meeting between Professor Adelegan and Mr. Kakkattil reflects PPD’s broader strategy of deepening partnerships with leading health innovation organisations to leverage new technologies, financing mechanisms, and knowledge networks in service of its 28 Member States and the wider Global South. As PPD advances its Strategic Plan 2026–2030, partnerships of this nature are central to its mission of ensuring that South-South Cooperation remains a dynamic and transformative force in global health and development.
