The winners were chosen from 12 global healthcare innovators, who had earlier been shortlisted from more than 150 applicants, to showcase their innovations to global policymakers and healthcare leaders at this year’s summit.

Winner of the Young Innovators category is Ayya Azzahra for CervivAI, a company making early detection of cervical cancer accessible with AI-enhanced testing.

Winner in the Innovation Showcases category is Neda Razavi for iSono Health, a company that develops automated, AI-powered, 3D ultrasound solutions for breast cancer screening.

Commenting on their success, Neda Razavi of iSono Health said: “I’m so proud of this award as it authenticates the importance of early detection of cancers using automation, robotics AI and ultrasound and thus, saving lives, a priority of Qatar’s government.”

Dr Mutiara Auliya of CervivAI said “We have a company of six women, and we want to make our product cheaper, giving access for women living in rural areas.”

Ayya Azzahra added “I was inspired to work on this project after my friend became very depressed following the death of her mother, who simply could not get access to a gynecologist. After dropping out of medical school for financial reasons, I hope to resume my medical studies, but I don’t need to be a doctor to help people.”

The third member of the winning team, Karmila Putri Maulidya said “As the biomedical engineer I designed the product using 3D modelling.”

This year’s competition benefits from a being delivered in partnership with Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), a Qatari organization dedicated to advancing research, fostering global innovation collaborations and attracting global talent to the Gulf state.

The WISH Innovation program was launched in 2013 and has supported a total of 160 innovators from 41 different countries to date.

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.

The post QF’s WISH Announces This Year’s Winning Innovators at 2024 Summit appeared first on WISH.

14 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — The second day of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – Qatar Foundation’s global healthcare initiative – featured a much-anticipated panel discussion on addressing the elimination of TB based on the ‘Innovative solutions towards the elimination of tuberculosis among refugees and migrants’ report released ahead of the summit. The discussion was moderated by Mr Stephen Sakur, of the BBC.

Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the World Health Organization Global TB Programme and lead author of the report, was joined by Ms Bience Gawanas the Vice-Chair of the Global Fund Board; Dr. Muna Al Muslamani, the Director of Communicable Disease Center HMC; Dr Michela Martini of the International Organization for Migration; Dr Paul Spiegel of Johns Hopkins University, and Mr Jospeh Mwangi Cachari of the Center for Disease Control Qatar.

Dr. Tereza elaborated on how tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, disproportionately affecting refugees and migrants who often experience overcrowded living conditions, poor access to healthcare and limited social support amongst other factors.

The panel discussed, in detail, the strategies to implement the report’s ten policy recommendations, which are aligned with commitments from the UN’s political declarations on TB, migration, and refugees, as well as the WHO’s End TB Strategy and global action plan. These strategies, drawn from successful experiences, are intended to serve as a guide for stakeholders worldwide in making TB elimination a reality for all.

Dr Martini said: “This region sees large cross-border movements of undocumented migrants, and thanks to The Global Fund, we have been able to launch a roadmap towards the elimination of TB in regional countries.”

Speaking on Qatar’s achievements in the field, Dr Al Mulsamini, pointed out that, according to the CDC’s own registry, “The number of cases of TB in Qatar had decreased from 41 cases per 100,000 of population in 2002, to 31 in 2023.”

“All GCC countries follow the WHO recommendations and have national TB elimination programs,” said Dr Al Mulsamini, adding that Qatar’s TB monitoring service is centralized at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) hub and can last for up to one and half years. “We monitor migrants through our TB register of high-incidence countries,” she said, adding that “if migrants are on anti-TB medication, we follow-up through the IHR (International Health Regulation) and the MOPH (Ministry of Public Health) when they return to their own country.”

The second day of WISH included other panels and discussions as follows:

• Empowering the Frontline – Supporting Nurses Through Strategic Investment
• Rebuilding Hope: Healing, Reconstruction, and Resilience
• Is The Stigma Around Obesity Leading to Unhealthy Outcomes?
• Leveraging Sports for Health and Well-being in Fragile Contexts
• Innovative Solutions for the Elimination of Tuberculosis Among Refugees and Migrants
• Psychological Health and Women: Insights and Approaches from an Islamic Perspective
• Are We Missing the Link between TB and Mental Health?
• Palliative Care: How Can We Respond to 10 Years of Limited Progress?
• Women’s Employment in Health in the EMR
• Prophetic Medicine Today: The Interplay of Medicine, Ethics, and Sharia
• National Action Plan for Obesity, Diabetes and Risk Factors for ASCVD
• Humanizing Health Through Community Engagement
• Anxiety, Loneliness and the Fate of Gen Z: Tackling the Unprecedented Global Mental Health Crisis

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.

The post World Health Leaders Outline Bold New Strategies and Innovations to Eliminate TB Amongst Refugees and Migrants at QF’s WISH 2024 appeared first on WISH.

14 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — The second day of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – Qatar Foundation’s global healthcare initiative – featured a much-anticipated panel discussion on addressing the urgent need to implement palliative care based on the report, ‘Palliative Care: How can we respond to ten years of limited progress’, released ahead of the summit.

Professor Richard Harding, the Director of the C. Saunders Institute of Palliative Care speaking to a filled auditorium of doctors and health policy specialists said:

“Everybody in this room shares the same challenge: we have patients and family members who face progressive illnesses, who are living with unnecessary physical and psychological suffering. We have a challenge at the health system level…. And we know that there’s a cost, with money being spent on non-beneficial treatments. In high-income countries, the one percent of people who die annually consume 10% of the health budget. So, we’ve got a major problem. The great thing is, we’ve got the solution. It’s palliative care.”

Professor Richard Harding was joined on the panel by Dr. Rachel Clarke, award-winning author and palliative care doctor; Dr. Tala Al Taji, QF Alumni and Palliative care fellow at the University of Rochester; Dr. Asmus Hammerich, the Director for NCD and Mental Health for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization; Professor Dame Louise Robinson, Academic, General Practitioner (GP), and Professor of Primary Care and Ageing; and Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika, the Executive Director of African Palliative Care Association.

The panel agreed that if we are to tackle this global challenge, we need to provide more community-centered care and reframe our understanding of the term, emphasizing that it is a concept that includes — but is not limited to — end-of-life care.

As populations age and chronic conditions become more common, particularly in transitioning countries, the demand for effective care that alleviates suffering and enhances the quality of life—especially for those nearing the end of life—grows. The need for palliative care is expected to double by 2060.

The panel discussed in detail innovative and cost-effective recommendations to transform essential palliative care in the years to come and identified several key areas to focus on, including: empowering local communities with materials in locally spoken languages, supporting and enabling primary care doctors, increasing appropriate education and training at all levels, enabling research, advocating for better policies in this neglected healthcare area, and increasing literacy and reducing stigma in the general population.

Dr. Tala Al Taji emphasised the importance of understanding the religious and cultural context of patients: “I have found that culture and religion can shape somebody’s willingness to go through treatment or desire to go through treatment. It can shape the decisions that they make at different stages of their illness, and it can even shape their decisions at the end of their lives. I think one of the core principles of palliative care is to preserve patient autonomy, and we cannot preserve patient autonomy without truly understanding the value system of a patient.”

Several of the panelists, including Dr. Clarke, spoke of their work in palliative care as a privilege.  Dr. Clarke said: “I strongly believe and see every day at work that there is always potential for goodness and beauty and love and compassion and meaning right up until the end of life, because dying is like living, it is a lived experience, and something we go through with people we love around us, if we’re lucky, and that means there’s always the potential for us as doctors and healthcare workers to make a difference.”

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.

The post Palliative Care needs to be transformed world-wide, say palliative care specialists at QF’s WISH 2024 appeared first on WISH.

Lord Darzi said: “Ten years ago, I think it is fair to say that I felt there was much that Qatar could learn from the NHS. Ten years on, today, it is apparent that there is far more the NHS can learn from Qatar and the success of its reforms.”

“Over recent years Qatar has expanded its network of primary healthcare centres, implemented the WHO’s “Healthy Cities” concept nationwide and rolled out electronic health records to streamline patient information. It reaped the benefits of this approach during the Covid-19 pandemic by mounting a response that resulted in one of the lowest mortality rates globally.”

“Qatar’s success in managing Covid is the subject of one of the WISH policy reports. I commend it to you as a model of how to deal with the next pandemic – in particular, its commitment to science-based decision making, which is vital for all countries everywhere.”

Andrew Gwynne, UK Minister for Public Health and Prevention, was in attendance at the opening summit and responded to Lord Darzi’s comments. Gwynne said:

“We asked Lord Darzi to review the UK National Health Service (NHS), and he’s offered us the diagnosis. We’re now in the process of working out the prescription.

“I think Lord Darzi really reinforced the idea of the lost decade that we had under the previous administration. The NHS was by no means perfect by the time the Labour government left office in 2010 but we had, through a programme of significant investment and reform, created an NHS that was working for most people, that was once more the envy of the world, and the world was looking to the UK, which is what Lord Darzi alluded to. We had the highest patient satisfaction in the history of the NHS, the lowest waiting times, the lowest waiting lists, and some of the best patient outcomes that we’d ever had at that stage.

“And then through a series of policy decisions by the coalition government that took the eye off the reform agenda, we had this huge reorganization that just set the NHS back years. Then the future Conservative administration spent all their time and effort trying to fix what they had broken, and then the pandemic came, and it’s just exacerbated the problems, so we inherit an NHS that’s broken, but not beaten.

“I think there’s a lot that the UK can learn from Qatar, particularly on the smart use of data and how they’re using it to drive population health. And on things like genetics and life sciences. We should be working in partnership. The United Kingdom has a lot to offer in those areas. And therefore, one of the reasons that I’m here is because the Prime Minister has made it very clear, as has the health secretary, that Britain is back on the world stage.

“We believe in both multilateralism and bilateral strong bilateral relationships, and we want to signal to the world that when it comes to global health challenges, we work in partnership, and also signal to Qatar, the hosts, that they matter to the United Kingdom. We’ve got the state visit coming up at the start of December, and there’s a lot more collaboration and cooperation we can do in the field of health.”
International leaders in health are discussing some of the world’s most pressing health issues at the WISH’s seventh biennial global conference in Qatar.

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.

The post Two healthcare leaders from United Kingdom call Qatar a model for healthcare at WISH appeared first on WISH.

Ministers and world health leaders set bold policy recommendations to protect healthcare in war at Qatar Foundation’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2024

14 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — Speaking at a World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) panel discussion in Doha today on protecting healthcare systems, Maged Abu Ramadan , the Minister of Health for Palestine said that numbers of people dead or hospitals destroyed don’t tell the story: “What is important is human life, human beings, human dignity. In Gaza, the most important things to us are our country, our dignity and our children. What is very important is that they want to make Gaza uninhabited. That’s why they are targeting health facilities.”

Protecting healthcare in conflict is a theme being discussed throughout the two-day Summit. At the morning’s plenary session, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, discussed the increase in attacks on health, especially in the past two years. “Healthcare facilities should not be a target, especially given the increased need for healthcare
during war,” said Dr. Tedros. He emphasized that two-thirds of the people dying are women and children and that stopping the war in Gaza and bringing the parties to a negotiating table is crucial.
“The key to a solution lies with Israel,” Dr Tedros said. “Israel should understand that it’s in its best interest to resolve this.”

Dr. Tedros recalled the scenes of “horror” he has witnessed in Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere. “We are sleepwalking into a nuclear war,” said Dr. Tedros.

Discussions on these topics were based around the newly published WHO/WISH report ‘In the Line of Fire: Protecting Health in Armed Conflict’, that emphasizes the need for a bold, unified response to protect health in times of conflict.

Among other actions, the report calls for a global alliance and a UN Special Rapporteur for the protection of healthcare in conflict.

Speakers at the panel session included Dr. Rick Brennan Regional Emergency Director for WHO, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean; Ms. Sigrid Kaag, UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza; Prof. Leonard Rubenstein, Distinguished Professor of the Practice, Center for Public Health and Human Rights; Dr Mads Gilbert, Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Arctic University of Norway; H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and the Minister of Health and Population; and H.E. Mr. Yousef Bin Ali Alkhater, Qatar Red Crescent President.

Since 2000, violence against healthcare and health workers during times of conflict has risen, according to the WHO/WISH report, despite the International Humanitarian Law protecting medical care in conflict. Vital health services have been attacked and severely disputed, leaving civilians and vulnerable populations without essential care.

Since 2018, WHO has documented more than 7,000 incidents of attacks on health care in which more than 2,200 health workers and patients lost their lives and more than 4,600 people were injured across 21 reporting countries and territories with complex humanitarian emergencies.

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.

The post Israel trying to make Gaza uninhabited by targeting health facilities, says Palestine Minister of Health at WISH appeared first on WISH.

13 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — Today, a panel of bioethicists, legal and policy experts at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) discussed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, focussing on accountability and the importance of including diverse data sets.

The discussion on the ethics of AI in healthcare, held at the end of the summit’s first day, was based on the report ‘AI and Healthcare Ethics in the Gulf Region: An Islamic Perspective on Medical Accountability’. This session featured the report’s lead author Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Bioethics at the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Prof Ghaly said that accountability for the outcomes of decisions of AI-enabled medical technologies needs to lay squarely with people: “It doesn’t matter how smart the machine is, it cannot be responsible for any mistakes.” He added that responsibility will no longer lie with the physician alone. Instead, we need to also hold developers, programmers and data scientists to account for data bias. “We are moving into a world of collective liability,” Ghaly said.

The panel highlighted several challenges to the ethical management of AI-enabled medical technologies. This issue of accountability is compounded by the complexity and opacity of AI algorithms, which can obscure the decision-making process and diffuse blame. Issues related to privacy and data protection, obtaining informed consent, addressing social disparities, considerations of medical consultation, and the aspects of empathy and sympathy pose additional challenges in the integration of AI.

The expert panel also included Dr. Barry Solaiman, Assistant Professor of Law at HBKU; Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director, EURO; UK Health Minister Andrew Gwynne, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention; and Dr Tamar Schiff, Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU.

The data used to train AI is central to understanding “what biases are baked into it,” said Dr. Schiff. In order to develop AI-enabled health systems that worked for everyone, the data needs to come from diverse data sets, the panel agreed.

While much of existing data sets currently being used to train AI in healthcare is based on data gathered in Western countries, “There are well resourced countries that can produce their own data and come to the table. We need entities from around the world to contribute,” said Dr. Ghaly.

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.

The post Humans, not AI, are always accountable for healthcare decisions, say experts at QF’s WISH 2024 appeared first on WISH.

Doha, Qatar, 13 November 2024: Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, today attended the opening of the 7th edition of Qatar Foundation’s biennial World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), held in Doha at Qatar National Convention Centre.

The two-day event, taking place on 13-14 November, is themed ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity, and Resilience’ and underscores the need for health innovation that supports everyone, leaves no one behind, and builds resilience, particularly for vulnerable communities and in regions affected by armed conflict.

Speakers at the opening ceremony included Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, former Minister of Public Health; Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH; and Dr. Christos Christou, President of Médecins Sans Frontières.

In her opening remarks, Her Excellency Dr. Al Kuwari said: “Under the visionary leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, WISH continues to expand as a global community committed to making healthcare accessible and humane.

“At WISH, we strive to present the world’s most cutting-edge ideas and scientific advancements. But we also focus on confronting the urgent challenges before us, particularly given that Qatar holds a firm belief in our shared responsibility to foster understanding, drive progress, and uphold the spirit of global cooperation.

“This year’s theme, ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity, and Resilience’, reflects our commitment to addressing the profound health challenges people face worldwide, especially those who have, and continue to endure unimaginable hardships…. The toll of war and displacement has tested humanity’s resilience and underscored the urgent need for peace, health and protection.”

Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, spoke of challenges faced by those working to provide care during armed conflict: “War is a healthcare catastrophe. There can never be any justification for targeting healthcare personnel or infrastructure – it is purely and simply wrong. We must stand together to condemn such actions and honor those who courageously continue to provide care in the most appalling conditions.”

Reflecting on the summit theme of conflict, equity, and resilience, Dr. Christou said he was gravely concerned that attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have become the “new norm”.

“We need to know that there is a place that is respected, and that place is a hospital. We are scrambling without basic medicines, anesthetics or antibiotics. There are many doctors in Gaza who are amputating on children without anesthetic, for example,” Dr. Christou said.

When asked about the neutrality of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), he reiterated that the values of the organisation remain consistent, and they treat all in need, but doctors “have a mandate to bear witness, to be a voice of the voiceless.… Neutrality means many things, but it does not mean silence.”

A film shown during the opening ceremony told the story of 11-year-old Dareen Al Bayaa, a Palestinian girl who lost 47 members of her extended family on 22 October 2023 as a result of a devastating attack on her home in Gaza, with only Dareen and her five-year-old brother surviving and being taken to Doha for medical treatment. “Why is it OK for me to suffer? Is this fair?” asked Dareen in the film.

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. 

Day one of the summit hosted discussion forums based on reports published by WISH and the WHO, alongside roundtable discussions and open sessions.

The first main discussion of the day was based on the joint WISH and WHO 2024 report titled ‘In the line of fire: Protecting health in armed conflict’, chaired by Richard Brennan, the Regional Emergency Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO. He was joined by expert speakers including His Excellency Yousuf Al Khater, President of Qatar Red Crescent Society; and Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.

This forum was followed by a discussion on antimicrobial resistance, based on the report: ‘Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR): How to keep antibiotics working for the next century’, chaired by the report’s co-author Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy for AMR. She was joined by Her Excellency Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health; Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO; Dr. Christos Christou; and Dr. Nour Shamas, a member of the AMR Narrative.

The final main discussion of the summit’s first day was based on the report ‘AI and Healthcare Ethics in the Gulf Region: An Islamic Perspective on Medical Accountability’, and discussed the ethics of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. This session featured the report’s lead author Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Bioethics at the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics of Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and an expert panel including Dr. Barry Solaiman, Assistant Professor of Law at HBKU.

Alongside discussions based on WISH reports, additional sessions took place on topics such as women’s cancer, palliative care, and the war in Sudan.

The summit has brought together more than 200 experts in health to discuss evidence-based ideas and practices in healthcare innovation with the aim of addressing the world’s most urgent global health challenges. 

The post Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Attends Opening of Qatar Foundation’s WISH 2024 Summit appeared first on WISH.

29 October 2024. Doha, Qatar – The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, has shortlisted 12 innovators for two awards in the 2024 WISH Global Healthcare Innovation Competition. Selected from more than 150 applications, these innovators will showcase their groundbreaking innovations to global policymakers and healthcare leaders at this year’s summit in Doha on 13-14 November. 

In addition to the opportunity to receive one of two investment awards of US$10,000, shortlisted innovators will have access to mentoring sessions with industry experts to learn about marketing, social media, presenting, and pitching to investors. They will also benefit from networking opportunities at WISH, an event that brings together healthcare providers, policymakers, investors, and industry experts. 

Eman Tag, Head of Innovation at WISH, said: “We are excited to bring together bright entrepreneurs and innovators at WISH 2024, whose inventions and startups aim to make global healthcare more affordable, sustainable and accessible. These competitions aim to provide them with a platform to nurture their innovations at a key stage in their development, empowering them to continue to develop these transformative health solutions.”

This year’s competition benefits from being delivered in partnership with Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), a Qatari organization dedicated to advancing research, fostering global innovation collaborations, and attracting global talent to the Gulf state.

“We are proud to partner with WISH in driving innovation that tackles pressing global health challenges,” said Nada Al-Olaqi, RDI Program Director, QRDI Council. “The 2024 Global Healthcare Innovation Competition showcases the strength of collaboration in transforming healthcare. By supporting these forward-thinking innovators, we aim to further establish Qatar as a hub for cutting-edge solutions that improve health outcomes worldwide. QRDI Council is committed to empowering innovators through its funding programs and platforms, helping them grow and scale their solutions to tackle critical global health issues.”

The competition award committee will announce a winner in each of the two award categories: ‘Young Innovators’ and ‘Innovation Showcases’, during the WISH closing ceremony on 14 November. 

The “Young Innovators” category is an opportunity designed exclusively for health startups led by founders aged 30 years and younger. Seven candidates have been shortlisted for the Young Innovators competition. They are: 1) Luma Makari of the United Arab Emirates, with Elggo, an AI-powered mental health platform promoting well-being in school children across the Middle East and North Africa; 2) Abel Teo Jun Hieng of Singapore, with Castomize Technologies, a MedTech company making novel medical devices with 4D printing technology; 3) Vijay Ravichandiran of India, with MANK Medical Devices Private Limited and the invention of a non-invasive, cost-effective and disposable tourniquet for use with hemodialysis patients; 4) Dr. Nawal Yousaf of the United Kingdom, with Fitra Health, which offers healthcare providers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries culturally inclusive mental health solutions; 5) Alessandro Vingione of Italy, with GenoGra, whose user-friendly software platform enables bioinformaticians to run cutting-edge pan-genomic analyses; 6) Mustafa Şandverdİ of Turkey, with Metatip Sağlik Teknolojileri A.Ş (MetaTıp Health Technologies inc.), a company pioneering 3D scanning, 3D printing, and virtual reality to transform the way anatomy and surgical education are delivered and 7) Ayya Azzahara of Indonesia, with CervivAI, a company making early detection of cervical cancer accessible with AI-enhanced testing. 

The ‘Innovation Showcases’ category is tailored for health startups that have progressed beyond the ideation phase and established their market presence within the past five years. Five applicants have been shortlisted and they are: 1) Neda Razavi, in the US, with iSono Health, a company that develops automated, AI-powered, 3D ultrasound solutions for breast cancer screening; 2) Abdulmonem Al Lawati, in Oman, with CureTech, a medical device company digitizing craniomaxillofacial surgery to develop and manufacture patient-specific implants; 3) Matteo Malosio, in Italy, with Rehabilia Technologies SRL, producer of PhiCube, an innovative device for neuromotor rehabilitation, particularly for children; 4) Masaki Umeda, in Japan, with Sora Technology, a company that offers innovative drone- and AI-based solutions in the fields of climate and health, particularly through environmental surveillance systems that target vector-borne and water-borne diseases; and 5) Rafiat Adeola Ayoola, in Nigeria, with Famasi, a company that provides the entire digital infrastructure needed to build, operate and grow in-house pharmacy systems.

The WISH Innovation program was launched in 2013 and has supported a total of 160 innovators from 41 different countries to date.

More information on the competition and previous winners can be found at https://wish.org.qa/innovation-hub/innovators/.

The post WISH Announces Shortlist for Global Healthcare Innovation Awards appeared first on WISH.

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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3 September 2024. Doha, Qatar – The theme of this year’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) has been revealed as ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity and Resilience’.

The seventh conference of the global health initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), will take place in Doha, Qatar on 13 and 14 November, and will 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.

Lord Ara Darzi, Executive Chair of WISH, said: “This year’s WISH comes at a time of great suffering and inadequate health provision for vulnerable populations, such as civilians in Gaza. It is of the utmost importance that we consider the cost of inaction at a systematic and a human level.

“At WISH 7 in November, it is vital that we make the most of a precious opportunity to look for solutions to pressing global health challenges. The solutions that the global WISH community seek must be equitable and foster resilience; they must humanize health.”  

This year, WISH has entered a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) – a partnership that involves collaboration in the development of a series of evidence-based reports and policy papers, as well as the support of WHO in a post-summit implementation strategy. With an evidence-based approach to developing innovative, practical solutions to some of global health’s most pressing challenges, the reports aim to provide policy recommendations that deal with how best to provide care at an individual, human level.

Reflecting on the partnership, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General at WHO, said: “WHO is deeply grateful to Her Highness Sheikha Moza, WISH, and Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health for bringing partners together to discuss conflict, equity, resilience and other pressing global health challenges, and to identify evidence-based solutions to promote, provide and protect the right to health.

“As disturbing as the number of conflicts in our troubled world is the increasing frequency of attacks on health care. These attacks deprive people of lifesaving health services at the time they need them most.”

Within the overall theme, November’s global gathering will feature four ‘tracks’, categorizing sessions into sub-themes:

• Health and armed conflict, covering pain management, disability, hunger and mental health
• Health of vulnerable and minority populations, considering TB in refugees and migrants and palliative care
• System level innovation and change, such as antimicrobial resistance and the ethics of AI in health
• Community-led engagement and interventions, including obesity and women’s cancers in the region

The biennial meeting will feature more than 200 experts[DM1] 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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