WASHINGTON, DC –The Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT & Radiation Therapy Trade Association (DITTA) convened a roundtable meeting yesterday, the first of its kind, with the World Bank and representatives from the international medical device industry to discuss opportunities to improve World Bank procurement processes for medical technology. Industry offered recommendations that were well received to make the procurement process more effective and reliable. The World Bank agreed that an ongoing dialogue will benefit everyone, particularly in the developing world to ensure that doctors and patients have the tools they need to combat disease — a common goal shared both by the medical device industry and the World Bank that is critically linked to poverty reduction and economic growth. “Many countries around the world look to the World Bank to help them meet the healthcare needs of their citizens,” said meeting rapporteur Gail Rodriguez, DITTA Chair and Executive Director of the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA). “We understand the mission of the World Bank and are pleased to be collaborating with them as a partner to develop the most cost effective systemic solutions that will ensure that medical technologies are reaching the patients who need them most.” The full-day consultation was part of the World Bank’s two-year procurement review. As the current chair of DITTA, MITA coordinated the meeting with industry partners Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) and German Healthcare Partnership. The consultation featured panel discussions about medical device procurement experience and best practices. This included a brainstorming session that covered short-term and long-term opportunities to address grievance mechanisms, technical specifications, in-house technical capacity, evaluation criteria and scope in tenders for training and service. During the meeting, industry representatives shared their ideas on how to foster more efficient and transparent World Bank procurement processes. Industry successfully proposed that this be the first in a series of events aimed to increase collaboration and develop solutions. Following this successful dialogue, the World Bank and industry agreed to meet again later this year to further discuss yesterday’s proposals. More information on DITTA, visit the website www.globalditta.org. ### DITTA is the global voice for diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy, healthcare IT, electromedical and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers to better communicate, coordinate and collaborate on matters of common interest between participating associations and member companies. DITTA enables participating associations and their member companies to work more effectively with international policymakers, organizations, professional associations and stakeholders.