TACKLING EBOLA AND COST OF CANCER CONCLUDES TWO DAY SUMMIT THAT AIMS TO CHANGE THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL HEALTH

Experts at World Innovation Summit for Health shared research, insights and innovations as 80 countries joined together to overcome global health threats

Doha, Qatar, 18 February 2015: Delegates from around the world today concluded a meeting of minds that saw them share new research on cancer, ideas on tackling dementia, insights into Ebola and evidence on preventing diabetes. The World innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, is a melting pot of Ministers, experts, policymakers and academics all dedicated to overcoming the growing health threats of today facing everyone.

Report recommendations included a ‘pay for results’ model for cancer drugs, adopting the power of celebrity to better communicate complex health messages and utilising military technology to influence healthy behaviour. Alongside the research and reports published, 25 truly innovative inventions were showcased to offer new, cheaper, easier and more effective healthcare in matters such as cleft palate treatment, hearing aids, prosthetics and cataract treatment.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attended this morning’s panel discussion entitled ‘global diffusion of healthcare innovation/leading health systems network’. The panel included Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, Managing Director, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC); Mr. Egbert Schillings, CEO of WISH; as well as senior figures from the UK, US, and Australia. A study on the diffusion of healthcare innovation across the world was published at the inaugural WISH Summit in 2013. Further research on this topic was presented at this year’s summit, focusing on accelerating the adoption of healthcare innovations with case studies from eight healthcare systems from across the globe.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma, President of Lalla Salma Foundation: Cancer Prevention and Treatment, also visited the WISH innovation gallery, which showcased a range of healthcare innovations from across the world, including practical devices such as affordable clean birth kits, and campaigns including the Your Health First campaign being led by the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Her Highness spoke to representatives of Peek Vision, a portable eye examination kit, and MIT’s Little Devices Lab. Her Highness also met a group of young innovators, including those behind Hamad Medical Corporation’s ‘How Was Your Visit’ app-based patient experience survey, which is helping to improve healthcare services.

By hosting over 1000 delegates from over 80 different countries WISH delivers ideas, innovations, solutions and action that can be translated into real-life policy to make healthcare more effective and more affordable for everyone. At the end of two full days of panels, presentations and discussions WISH has addressed many different health issues including Affordable Cancer Care, Maternal and Newborn Health and Communicating Complex Health Messages. Two special panels were also hosted; one on the on-going challenge of maternal and new-born health held in partnership with The Gates Foundation and one on the threat of Ebola looking at controlling infectious diseases and one on Genomics, looking at the future of personalised medicine.

Engineer Saad Al Muhannadi, President of Qatar Foundation said: “Over the past two days WISH has convened the great and the good of global healthcare here in Qatar and I am very proud of the work that has gone into the reports they have published. The impact of this research cannot be underestimated – together we have the potential to change millions of lives. Though many of the issues addressed are challenging, the solutions posed here at WISH show there is reason for hope, for optimism and practical action. By ignoring borders and working together, we can overcome the challenges that lie ahead and ensure better health for everyone.”

As well as a moving opening speech by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a raft of global experts were invited to share their personal insights and professional experience with the attending guests, ensuring a truly global perspective, including distinguished surgeon and Indian philanthropist Devi Shetty and mental-health champion and charity founder, Anthony Shriver.

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, said: “There is a clear need for radical innovation and urgent action in the face of increasing global health threats. WISH succeeds in bringing these two needs together – providing evidence-based, innovative solutions and sharing them with the policy experts and national bodies able to implement them. Over the past two days we have seen the best minds in healthcare join together to help shape and inform the most effective solutions for countries around the world. This dedication to collaboration is what makes WISH so unique and is what, I believe, will allow us to make such an important impact on the future of global health.”

WISH is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, and highlights QF’s mission to inspire and promote healthcare development and reform through a global network of high-level policymakers, academics and industry leaders. WISH remains closely aligned to the vision and mission of QF to unlock human potential and underscore Qatar’s pioneering role as an emerging center for healthcare innovation.

To learn more about WISH, view the panel discussions 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