The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) has today released the first details of speakers confirmed for its upcoming global conference, to be held on 13 and 14 November 2024.

Among those featured at the summit will be WISH executive chair Lord Ara Darzi and Médecins Sans Frontières’ international president Christos Christou.

Lord Darzi, who recently led an independent investigation on the state of the National Health Service in England, will set the tone with a keynote speech that sheds light on the need for international cooperation on a range of global health challenges, including combatting the growth of antibiotic resistance, and the need for innovation in health to support everyone, so that nobody is left behind, especially among vulnerable societies and in areas of armed conflict.

In discussion with world news presenter Yalda Hakim, Christo Christou will discuss the importance of protecting health in areas of armed conflict, including Gaza and Sudan, drawing on new reports and his own frontline experience in these war zones.

The biennial summit will feature more than 200 experts presenting evidence-based ideas and innovative practices in healthcare that address some of the world’s most urgent global health challenges. These speakers will include: Prof Dame Sally Davies (UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance), palliative care doctor and bestselling author Dr Rachel Clarke, CEO of War Child Canada Dr Samantha Nutt, Michael Fakhri (UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, OHCHR), Sigrid Kaag (UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza and former First Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands), Dr Jim Yong Kim, former president of the World Bank and co-founder of Partners in Health, and Sheikh Dr Mohamed Al Thani (Director of Public Health, Qatar Ministry of Public Health).

This year, WISH has partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop three WHO-led collaborative research projects, generating evidence-based reports for in-depth discussion at the summit. These reports will focus on topics needing the urgent attention of the global health community, underscoring a joint commitment to improve policy and practice. Speakers representing WHO will include Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Kluge, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region Dr Hanan Balkhy, and Regional Director for South-East Asia Saima Wazad.

Maha El Akoum, Acting Director of Research and Policy at WISH, said: “WISH this year focuses on thought-provoking topics that probe some of the most pressing challenges currently faced by the global health community, such as protecting health delivery during armed conflict, the threat of antibiotic overuse, the ethics of AI use in healthcare, and how make palliative care available to all. These topics have attracted a wide range of brilliant expert speakers to our summit who will ensure that the discussions that take place are insightful and impactful.”

The theme of this year’s WISH is ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity and Resilience’. WISH is the global health initiative of Qatar Foundation. To learn more and to register your interest in attending WISH 2024, visit https://wish.org.qa/summits/wish-2024/.

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Across two days, more than 3,000 health policy makers, innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and practitioners will convene at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) to look for innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest health challenges.

This year, WISH has partnered with the World Health Organization to develop three WHO-led collaborative research projects, generating evidence-based reports for in-depth discussion at the summit. These reports will focus on topics needing the urgent attention of the global health community, underscoring a joint commitment to improve policy and practice.

Additionally, local and international partners will work with WISH to develop reports for the summit on a range of issues in areas such as health systems, ethics, physical health, and mental health. WISH 2024 will continue to emphasize the need for regional perspectives on global health and the importance of translating research into solutions with real-world impact.

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Event details link: 17th World Congress of Bioethics (cilecenter.org)

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On 25 May 2024, During the Youth PreWHA meeting. Under the theme “Health Emergencies”, WISH is hosting a session titled “Targeting of Health Systems During Armed Conflict”. This session will discuss he impact and challenges faced by healthcare systems during armed conflict and will explore solutions to safeguard healthcare in times of crisis.

Event details link: Youth Pre World Health Assembly – IFMSA

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The global day of recognition is the first time the importance of UHC has been given a platform to galvanize support across the world. WISH is proud to stand alongside over 270 partner organizations from 64 countries, including World Health Organization, Oxfam and Save the Children.

UHC is the basic concept that every person, everywhere, should have access to health care without suffering financial hardship. This essential human right is a cornerstone of sustainable development and global security. Yet currently, one billion people lack access to basic health care, and a further 100 million struggle financially to access it.

In response to this challenge, WISH has established a Forum on Universal Health Coverage, chaired by Sir David Nicholson KCE CBE, former Chief Executive of the National Health Service in England, which has grown to become one of the world’s largest publicly funded health services since its launch in 1948.

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, said: “It is unacceptable that over one billion people currently live without access to quality healthcare. This basic human right should not be dependent on where you were born or what you do for a living. To ensure real impact, it is vital that organizations across the globe work together to address this urgent health challenge. As part of WISH, our UHC Forum will look to deliver practical, evidence based methods for extending quality healthcare provision to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”

WISH is in line with Qatar Foundation’s mission of launching initiatives as part of a drive towards fundamental healthcare development and reform. It remains closely aligned to the vision and mission of QF to unlock human potential and serve to underscore Qatar’s pioneering role as an emerging center for healthcare innovation.

For more information about WISH or the 2015 Summit, please visit: wish.org.qa.

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