Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance Named a Global Health Priority atQF’s WISH 2024
World health leaders highlight global actions needed to keep antibiotics working for the next century.
13 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — Today, on the first day of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – Qatar Foundation’s global healthcare initiative –an international panel of health experts discussed priority actions to safeguard the future of antibiotics.
Speakers at the panel included Dame Sally Davies, UK AMR special envoy; Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director (EMRO); H.E. Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Ambassador of Global Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden; Dr Christos Christou, International President, Médecins Sans Frontières; and Dr Nour Shamas, Clinical Pharmacist and WHO Task force AMR survivor. Lord Ara Darzi, WISH executive chair, held a fireside chat before the panel.
Lord Darzi said: “It’s quite clear, looking at all the evidence, you will never be able to fix the problem of resistance purely through science.”
The panel members agreed antimicrobial resistance must be recognized as a global, multisectoral, intergenerational scientific and behavioral emergency, as per a new report, ‘Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance: How to Keep Antibiotics Working for the Next Century’, released just ahead of the summit. Keeping antibiotics must be a priority for action among human health system leaders, as well as animal health, environment, food security and economic chiefs. Without antibiotics, modern medicine will cease to exist as we know it, the authors said.
The panel provided recommendations, exploring opportunities for further action in global citizen engagement, translational science, and policy and regulation.
Dame Sally Davies commented on the benefit of reframing the challenge of AMR as not about winning a war, but about not losing it: “The question is: how do we save lives and live with bacteria? Where we need to be, rich countries in particular, is in balance with what’s available, to protect people. We haven’t got there yet, and we’ve got a fair way to go. But I’m optimistic.”
This year, WISH was opened in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and founder of WISH. The opening ceremony, held at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, included speeches from Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s former Minister of Public Health; Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH; and Christos Christou, President of Médecins Sans Frontières.
The theme of WISH 2024 is ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity and Resilience’. It aims to highlight the need for innovation in health to support everyone, leaving nobody behind and building resilience, especially among vulnerable societies and in areas of armed conflict.
Ahead of the summit, WISH entered into a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), collaborating on the development of a series of evidence-based reports and policy papers, as well as working with the United Nations’ health agency to develop a post summit implementation strategy.
The summit features more than 200 experts in health speaking about evidence-based ideas and practices in healthcare innovation to address the world’s most urgent global health challenges.
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Notes for editors
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 ongoing 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 (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.
QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality
education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.
QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa.
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Media Contacts:
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