WISH 2016 Summit to Host Panel on Islamic Ethics

Doha, August 23 – The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) will host a panel on Islamic ethics during its two-day 2016 conference, which begins on November 29 in Doha.

Using hypothetical case studies, the panel will provide answers to ethical questions surrounding genomics in Arab Muslim countries and the Gulf region where this new discipline has attracted increased interest over the past few years. It will address issues such as managing the return of incidental findings, which involve various stakeholders including healthcare professionals and policy makers.

For the first time since the launch of the WISH summit, the Islamic ethics panel will produce a report including policy recommendations on how to create culturally sensitive guidelines. As interest in the field of genomics expands, the issues of morality and ethics are poised to gain further attention. This report will lay out various hypothetical scenarios to help tackle such issues from an Islamic perspective.

“Discussions will focus on finding the right balance between openness to new healthcare practices and Islamic traditions. Our conclusions will combine these two elements to provide policy recommendations in the context of healthcare delivery,” said Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, panel moderator and professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethic at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE), a member of Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) in Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

In turn, WISH CEO Egbert Schillings said: “Every healthcare decision taken has, at its core, an ethical component. When it comes to healthcare delivery, caregivers, patients, families and policymakers all need guidance on how to reconcile their moral duties with the right course of action. That is why each WISH Summit has featured a session on Islamic Ethics and Health so that the moral issues raised by the era of the human genome can be brought forth and discussed.” “Genomics reveals more about an individual than even they are aware of, and that information will increasingly guide clinical practice, while posing fresh ethical dilemmas for everyone involved. We are delighted to be working with CILE once again in tackling some of the thorniest ethical issues in modern healthcare,” he added.

Dr. Eman Sadoun, Chair of the Qatar National Research Ethics Committee at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), said: “The MOPH offers a set of guidelines that assist investigators and Institutional Review Boards in the design and conduct of genomic research to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants.” WISH, a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), is a meeting point for thousands of high-level policymakers, academics, and professionals. It has also evolved into a key platform for the dissemination of healthcare innovation and best practices.

The WISH 2016 summit will feature seven groundbreaking research forums that highlight and address some of the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges. The forums will generate interdisciplinary, evidence-based reports on topics including healthy populations, precision medicine, economic benefits of investing in health, accountable care, cardiovascular disease, autism and behavioral insights. Internationally-renowned experts will chair the discussions. For the first time, WISH will also report on its impact, locally and globally, on issues previously highlighted at the conference, such as diabetes and patient safety.In addition, the summit will feature innovation showcases from around the world that are shaping the design, delivery, and financing of care, as well as a cohort of young innovators; emerging healthcare leaders under the age of 30, whose contributions to global health deserve wider recognition.