Speakers Archives - WISH

Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani

wish admin — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:31:35 +0000

Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani is a distinguished figure in the world of public health, renowned for his exceptional leadership and diverse contributions. As the Director of the Department of NCDs Prevention Programs at the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, Dr. Al Thani has been instrumental in driving forward national health policies and programs, focusing on enhancing the well-being of the population. A visionary in public health strategy, Dr. Al Thani excels in strategic leadership, policy development, and program execution. His dynamic approach has significantly shaped Qatar’s public health landscape, aligning it with both national priorities and international best practices. He is known for his adept skill in formulating policies that prioritize population health, backed by his strong commitment to evidence-based decision-making. In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Al Thani is deeply involved in academia. He holds the esteemed positions of Professor at Qatar University and Associate Professor of Clinical Healthcare Policy and Research at Weill Cornell Medical College. His academic endeavors focus on healthcare policy, health systems management, and healthcare quality improvement, reflecting his dedication to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Dr. Al Thani’s influence extends beyond national borders through his active participation in international forums and his role as a representative of Qatar in the World Health Assembly. He is also an integral member of the Health Ministers’ Council for Gulf Cooperation Countries and has played a pivotal role in the Public Health Implementation Group (PHIG) and the Qatar Steering COVID-19 Committee. His contributions to the Scientific Reference and Research Taskforce (SRRT) further underscore his commitment to evidence-based public health interventions. A prolific researcher, Dr. Al Thani has published over 70 scientific articles in prestigious journals, contributing significantly to the global discourse on public health. His research not only showcases his expertise but also his pursuit of advancing public health knowledge. Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani’s career is marked by a passion for improving healthcare outcomes and a dedication to public service. His leadership, academic contributions, and research endeavors make him a true asset to the field of public health, both in Qatar and on the international stage.

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Prof. Hilal A. Lashuel

wish admin — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:32:21 +0000

Prof. Hilal A. Lashuel is the Research Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Executive Director of RDI at the Chairperson’s Office. He is also an Associate Professor at EPFL and directs the Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, where his research focuses on protein misfolding and aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases, with the goal of developing novel diagnostics and therapies. Prof. Lashuel earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry from the City University of New York and completed his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute. His postdoctoral work took him to the Picower Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital before joining EPFL. He has held visiting roles at Stanford University and executive positions at Qatar Biomedical Research and Qatar Biobank. He has also served on advisory boards for Qatar Genome Project, Qatar Metabolic Institute, and the Qatar Cancer Research Partnership. Prof. Lashuel is the founder and CEO of ND BioSciences SA, a biotech company focused on neurodegenerative diseases, and serves as an associate editor for npj Parkinson’s Disease. His extensive contributions include over 225 publications, nine patents, and more than 250 invited lectures, amassing over 29,000 citations with an h-index of 92. His research has been supported by Swiss, European, and U.S. agencies, private foundations, and collaborations with major pharma companies. Among his awards are the Takreem Foundation’s Scientific Achievement Award, the Kuwait Prize, and recognition as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

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Valerie Nkamgang Bemo

wish admin — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:20:52 +0000

Dr. Nkamgang Bemo is a distinguished leader, motivational speaker, coach and mentor and an internationally recognized expert in global health and humanitarian response. Born and raised in Cameroon, educated in France and Spain, Dr. Bemo has established a strong reputation as a cross-cultural connector and thought leader. Her ideas and reflections are inspired by her multi-cultural lived experiences, a multi-lingual education, and her spirituality. With over 20 years of experience as an international development practitioner, she has worked with communities, governments, local and international organizations to strengthen systems, and empower leaders to create lasting social change. On behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dr. Bemo has worked with poor and vulnerable communities across the globe, especially those impacted by natural disasters, disease outbreaks and conflicts. Examples of her work include leading the Foundation’s global humanitarian response program such as Haiti earthquake, West Africa, Ebola outbreak, cyclone Idai in Mozambique, investing in programs to strengthen the capacity of local and regional humanitarian agencies to better respond to emergencies, supporting the design and implementation of sanitation and health programs for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and Syrian refugees in Jordanian refugee camps, and co-leading interventions as part of the Foundation’s Africa response to the Covid 19 pandemic. Throughout her work Dr. Bemo’s approach is grounded in a commitment to and passion for solutions that will shift mindsets and remove institutional and systemic barriers to empower individuals and groups to create locally grown solutions. She brings an abundance of optimism, energy, and authenticity to her work. As a Life coach, Yoga Teacher, Nature Conscious, team leader and facilitator, Dr. Bemo cultivates an atmosphere of playful creativity and innovation, a sense of adventure, and collaboration. Dr. Bemo received her MD from the University of Cote d’Ivoire, an Epidemiology Diploma at the University of Paris, and her MPH from Madrid Autonoma University. She is a certified trainer and coach.

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Ahmed Mohsen

wish admin — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:31:22 +0000

Mohsen has over 20 years of experience working in various operational contexts for UNHCR, serving in different managerial, legal, protection and external relations capacities in countries including Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria. His most recent position was as Deputy Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries in Riyadh, KSA. He holds three master’s degrees, one in International Human Rights Law (MA) from the American University in Cairo (AUC), another in International Criminal Justice (LLM) from the University of London, and a third in Risk, Crisis, and Disaster Management (MSc) from the University of Leicester

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H.E. Mr. Yousef Bin Ali Alkhater

wish admin — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 05:28:36 +0000

Mr. Al-Khater has been member of the Shura Council since 2021. Currently, he is Chairman of the Shura Council’s Internal and External Affairs Committee; Member of the Advisory Board of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); and Chairman of Qatar Parliamentary Friendship Group with the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. During his diplomatic career, he worked at the Office of the State Minister for Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 2006, then served as a consul in Houston, Texas, the United States (2007-2011) and ambassador in Australia and later the United Kingdom until 2021. Prior, Mr. Al-Khater worked at the Ministry of Education during the period from 1992 to 2006, as an educational researcher in the Research Department of the Ministry. Furthermore, Mr. Al-Khater holds Master of Public Administration from the American University – Washington, D.C. (2000). He represented Qatar as member of the Executive Councils of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).

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Dr. Hanan Balkhy

wish admin — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:09:30 +0000

Dr. Hanan Balkhy was appointed World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean by the WHO Executive Board in January 2024. She took office on February 12024. Dr. Balkhy has set five priorities for her tenure as Regional Director: to make health care more accessible to all, especially hard-to-reach populations; to expand country capacities to tackle emergency health demands of the climate crisis, pandemics, conflicts and other disasters; to strengthen public health for disease prevention and health promotion; to expand partnerships for financing, to share knowledge and skills; and to strengthen the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and country office capacities and subsequently boost cooperation to better influence global health. Dr. Balkhy was previously Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance at WHO headquarters. Prior to that, she was Executive Director for Infection Prevention and Control at the Ministry of National Guard, Saudi Arabia. She led the Gulf Cooperation Council Centre for Infection Control and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Resistance inSaudi Arabia. Dr. Balkhy earned her medical degree from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. She then completed her pediatric residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, United States of America (USA). She later completed a pediatric infectious diseases fellowship with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Case Western Reserve University, USA.

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Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge

wish admin — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 07:23:25 +0000

Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge of Belgium embarked on his role as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Europe on February 1, 2020, shortly before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Since then, he and his team have led WHO’s response to this health emergency across 53 countries encompassing Europe and Central Asia. Lessons learnt from the crisis, along with other key health priorities, are encapsulated in the WHO European Programme of Work, which reflects a dual track approach to health: preparing better for mounting health emergencies even as countries strengthen essential health systems and services, including for non-communicable diseases. Having qualified in medicine, surgery and obstetrics, Dr. Kluge’s extensive global experience includes seminal years with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium amid health and humanitarian crises in Liberia and Somalia, as well as serving as the Moscow-based Regional Tuberculosis (TB) Advisor for countries formerly part of the Soviet Union. He joined WHO in 1999, first as TB/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Project Manager at WHO Russia, and then at WHO Myanmar as TB Medical Officer, eventually becoming Team Leader for the HIV, TB, and malaria unit. Dr. Kluge moved to the WHO European Regional Office in 2009, and a year later was appointed Director of the Division of Health Systems and Public Health, as well as Special Representative of the Regional Director to Combat Multi/Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis. In his current role, Dr. Kluge advocates all the more strongly with governments and funders for strengthening health systems, prioritizing primary health care as a cornerstone of public health. “For me, universal health coverage is more than a slogan,” he says. “Strategic, practical investments, grounded in human rights and propelled by political will, can transform societies and countries – accelerating the achievement of health for all”.

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Ms. Sigrid Kaag

wish admin — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 10:18:34 +0000

Secretary-General Appoints Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, following Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023), on December 26, 2023, in New York. In this role, she facilitates, coordinates, monitors, and verifies humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza, and is establishing a UN mechanism to accelerate these efforts through states not party to the conflict. She will be supported by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Ms. Kaag brings a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs, as well as in diplomacy. From January 2022, she served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and first female Minister of Finance in the Dutch government. Previously, she was the Dutch Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation from October 2017 until May 2021 and Minister for Foreign Affairs until September 2021. Sigrid Kaag was elected party leader of the social liberal party D66 in September 2020 and stepped down from that position in August 2023 after leading her party to victory in the March 2021 elections. Ms. Kaag has held a wide range of senior positions in the UN system. From 2015 to 2017, she was the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and from 2013 to 2015, she was Special Coordinator of the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN Mission in Syria. She served as Assistant Secretary-General with the UN Development Programme from 2010 to 2013 and as Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Jordan from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that, Ms. Kaag served in several senior positions with UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Ms. Kaag holds a Master of Arts in Middle East Studies from the University of Exeter, a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from Oxford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo. She speaks Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Arabic.

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Dr. Sania Nishtar

wish admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 10:56:36 +0000

Dr. Sania Nishtar joined Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on 18 March 2024. A trained medical doctor, Dr. Nishtar has built an outstanding career over 30 years as a national and global leader. She served as a Senator in her home country, Pakistan; as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation and as a Federal Minister with the responsibility of re-establishing the country’s Ministry of Health. Dr. Nishtar has fulfilled several leadership positions in civil society and international organizations; founded a health reform non-profit, non-governmental, think tank in Pakistan, co-authored dozens of academic papers and books, and published in leading newspapers. A graduate of Khyber Medical College and King’s College London, she has received many international awards. In 2020, the BBC named her among 100 inspiring and influential women around the world.

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Prof. Richard Harding

wish admin — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 12:15:54 +0000

Professor Richard Harding is the Interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King’s College London. He holds the Herbert Dunhill Chair in Palliative Care & Rehabilitation at the Cicely Saunders Institute. His research program explores the global health dimensions of palliative care, seeking to expand access while maintaining quality. His work emphasizes the strengthening of health systems and the development and testing of outcome measures and complex interventions. In addition to his research endeavors, Professor Harding is the Vice Chair of the World Hospice Palliative Care Alliance and is the Founding Director of the Centre for Global Health Palliative Care. He is also a Trustee of AIDS Impact and of Marie Curie, where he co-chairs the Research and Policy Committee. He holds a visiting Chair in Palliative Care at the University of Cape Town, and at Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

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