Highlights from the Event

The 13th Annual Health & Humanitarian Logistics Conference

This year’s conference was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from
The UPS Foundation
and supported by
The Royal Academy of Engineering, Shuttleworth Funded, and The Fritz Institute

The societal and public health challenges presented by COVID-19 have emphasized the importance of events such as the Conference on Health & Humanitarian Logistics (HHL). Emergencies disproportionally impact low income or vulnerable populations, complicating ongoing development needs in health, nutrition, education, and other key areas. Whether we face an emergency or long-term development decisions, there are often many actors who play a role and limited resources available, as well as variability, uncertainty, and potential disruptions in affected demand and supply chains.

HHL provides a unique platform to discuss challenges, best practices, innovations, and ideas in health systems, disaster preparedness and response, and long-term development. It facilitates potential collaborations, with the goal of enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in health and humanitarian systems to ultimately improve and save lives around the world.

The 13th annual HHL Conference was held virtually during a global pandemic. The agenda focused on a different region of the world for each day, with Day 1 centering around Africa, Day 2 speaking from Asia, and the cornerstone of Day 3 being the Americas. Each day was tied together with the overarching theme of “Building Efficient Supply Chain Connections,” which was supported by three subthemes: sustainable local procurement, health supply chain capacity strengthening, and last-mile transportation. In addition to panel discussions and keynotes, the multifaceted program also included numerous presentations led by practitioners and thought leaders on current challenges and practices in health and humanitarian systems. The event highlighted the determination commitment of organizers, sponsors, speakers, and participants to share knowledge, research, and practical perspectives for positive impact in our global community. 
 

Since its inception 13 years ago, the conference has hosted participants from 81 countries around the world. Past conferences were held in locations such as the United States, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Denmark, and United Arab Emirates. The 2021 virtual conference drew attendees from 35 countries and over 70 organizations, including representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations, public sector, industry, foundations, and academia.

The Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS) at Georgia Tech carried the torch in kick-starting and organizing the conference during its first three years (2009 - 2011); partner organizations, including INSEAD, MIT Humanitarian Response Lab, Northeastern University, NC State, and Humanitarian Logistics Association (HLA), and others joined as co-organizers during the past nine years. This year, HLA and CHHS took the lead as the primary organizers. With overwhelming support from our participants, speakers, co-organizers, and sponsors, we look forward to the continuing success and positive impact of HHL, as a platform that springboards collaboration and positive change for communities around the world. We look forward to seeing you at HHL 2022!