HEALTHCARE LEADERS FROM OVER 80 COUNTRIES GATHER IN QATAR TO SHARE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST HEALTH THREATS
Experts convene at World Innovation Summit for Health to present research, ideas and innovation that will revolutionise the future of global healthcare
Doha, Qatar, 17 February 2015: A roadmap to a healthier world was unveiled as more than 1000 world leaders, policy makers and healthcare experts gathered in Doha on Tuesday to discuss new and ground-breaking solutions to the most urgent global health challenges at the second World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF).
With the spread of Ebola, the continuing rise in heart disease, the advancing wave of diabetes, the growing cost of cancer care, the mental illness; there has never been a more pressing time to address these issues and identify solutions for generations to come.
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Founder of WISH this morning addressed attending dignitaries and delegates with a welcome speech that praised the research teams for their commitment to uncovering vital new solutions to some of the world’s biggest health crises. Her Highness Sheikha Moza said: “The WISH conference helps change our global health reality towards achieving a greater ambition of providing quality health coverage for all. Healthcare and healthcare access go to the heart of human rights. We cannot overcome our healthcare challenges unless we begin to invest in solutions that link health and education, as they are intrinsically connected. Innovation in education leads us to innovation in health. It is our wish to promote the causes of both access to basic primary education and universal health coverage.”
WISH acts as a melting pot of ideas, innovations, solutions and action – all aimed at saving lives and being cost effective. Following the welcome speech, delegates were invited to attend the unveiling of new research, introductions to new innovations, participate in discussion panels and share ideas, all aimed at creating solutions for growing and costly global health issues including Cancer, Diabetes, Dementia and Mental Health. With delegates from over 80 different countries in attendance, it was clear the potential to share learnings and spur-on action is immense.
The first day of the summit presented a unique opportunity for experts from around the world to share and explore the best evidence-based ideas in healthcare. Over the course of the two-day summit, eight major reports will be published, examining research and case studies from around the world to provide new learnings and solutions to diverse and widespread health challenges.
Meanwhile, WISH is also showcasing some of the newest and most ground-breaking health innovations from around the world including virtual surgery, 3D-printed prosthetics and mobile apps. Day one of the summit saw five forums present new research papers on; Diabetes, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children, Universal Health Coverage, Patient Safety and Dementia. These papers offer workable, cost-effective and evidence-based solutions for governments to adopt and implement around the world.
WISH supports the aims and ambitions of Qatar Foundation and reinforces Qatar’s role as an emerging centre for healthcare innovation. Qatar has been at the forefront of healthcare reform in the region with its introduction of a visionary national health strategy. As part of its mission, Qatar Foundation has launched a number of initiatives in healthcare – from scientific research in medicine to maternal health and clinical care.
Engineer Saad Al Muhannadi, President of Qatar Foundation, said: “WISH is a leading influence in global healthcare and I am very proud of the indispensable contribution it is making to healthcare systems worldwide. By bringing the world’s leading innovators to Doha, WISH is creating a truly unique opportunity for unprecedented collaboration, promoting innovations that will form the basis of the healthcare systems of the future. For me, it is one of the best examples of how Qatar Foundation’s healthcare initiatives create real benefits for people both here in Qatar, and in countries around the globe.”
This year, WISH is hosting two special panels; one that will take place on Genomics, looking at the future of personalised medicine and the ethical dilemmas this new frontier in healthcare could bring; and one taking place on Newborn and Maternal Health hosted alongside The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Harvard University and Save the Children.
Delegates discovered a unique Young Innovators display which has invited the next generation of global experts to showcase their healthcare innovations to attending international experts, allowing direct and swift uptake of these valuable and grassroots ideas. One such example is Braci, a simple but highly effective app that turns sounds into vibrations or images for deaf people to be alerted to reducing the reliance on hearing dogs, carers and costly in-house emergency systems.
Offering a truly international perspective, attendees were given the chance to hear from distinguished keynote speakers including former White House health advisor Don Berwick and health cover expert Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna.
The Right Honourable Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, said: “In the face of growing health concerns, reducing budgets and increasingly fluid global borders we face a crossroads in world health that presents a unique dilemma for us all. We must act urgently to share our experiences, combine our insights and progress solutions together. Only through collaboration can we be sure to find the right answers and only with innovation can we deliver the outcomes needed. WISH provides the platform for such action and I am proud to be welcoming the world’s experts to Doha today to create a healthier future for all.”
To learn more about WISH, view the panels and download the reports, please visit wish.org.qa.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For more information please contact:
Noha El Afify
WISH Communications Manager
nelafify@wish.org.qa
+974 7768 6624
About the World Innovation Summit for Health:
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) is a global healthcare community dedicated to capturing and disseminating the best evidence-based ideas and practices. WISH is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and is under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, its Chairperson.
The inaugural WISH Summit took place in Doha in 2013 and convened more than 1,000 global healthcare leaders. Through international summits and a range of on-going initiatives, WISH is creating a global community of leading innovators in healthcare policy, research and industry.
Together, they are harnessing the power of innovation to overcome the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges and inspire other stakeholders to action.
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential:
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a private, non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from a carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
QF carries out its mission through three strategic pillars: education, science and research, and community development. QF’s education pillar brings world-class universities to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy.
Meanwhile, its science and research pillar builds Qatar’s innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing solutions through key sciences. Finally, its community development pillar helps foster a progressive society while also enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar’s heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visit www.qf.org.qa. For more information about Qatar Foundation, please contact our press office at: pressoffice@qf.org.qa
