2022 Archives - WISH

The Potential of a Front-of- Package Labeling System for Qatar

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:15:50 +0000

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill more than 40 million people each year. Data shows that, in 2019, 74 percent of global deaths were due to NCDs. Unhealthy diets are one of the main causes of overweight and obesity, contributing to the risk of diet-related NCDs. The increase in the consumption of food products with high caloric values, and low to no nutritional value is concerning.

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Healthcare waste management: Moving towards sustainability

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:14:28 +0000

Waste generation is inevitable in any industry, and healthcare is no exception. While much of the waste produced by healthcare can be considered non-hazardous, managing healthcare waste is both a public health and environmental concern. There have been substantial strides taken in the international policy landscape concerning waste management over the last few decades. In parallel, national governments have developed their laws, regulations and practice. In this report we provide an overview that describes current thinking on appropriate healthcare waste management. In addition, the report reflects on the importance of a circular economy, which will be key in healthcare becoming truly sustainable. We also reflect on Qatar’s development and current practice as the country and its health system has undergone an extraordinary transformation over the last few decades.

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The time to act is now

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:12:41 +0000

Regular physical activity, including participation in sports, positively impacts health and wellbeing in myriad ways, including: reducing the risk of chronic physical health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; reducing the instance and impact of depression and anxiety; and improving self-esteem and prosocial behavior. These benefits hold true for all segments of the population. Yet persons with disabilities (PWDs) are less likely to engage in sports, often due to insufficient efforts by sports organizations, schools, governments, and policymakers to make these activities more inclusive.

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Policy lessons from COVID-19

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:11:03 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the pivotal importance of access to multidimensional, high-resolution data in near real-time to inform and enable evidencebased policy, public health and clinical decisions on how to effectively respond to various stages of the pandemic. Different data sources are particularly useful at various stages of a pandemic: initially they can help to identify and confirm the emergence of an infection with pandemic potential, understand its epidemiology, inform deliberations on risk stratification, and make decisions about travel; and later data can enable assessments of the uptake, safety and effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions, vaccines and therapeutics, help us understand the impacts on health system functioning, and to inform deliberations on when a pandemic can be declared over.

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COVID-19 and children’s mental health: Implications for Qatar

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:09:51 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a sense of fear and anxiety worldwide, which may have long-term psychosocial and mental health implications for children and adolescents. Evidence shows that children and adolescents have experienced significant disruption in their daily lives as well as anxiety, depression, and stress related to COVID-19. The pandemic may disproportionately affect children with pre-existing behavioral problems, such as autism, who rely on specialized care. Parents, teachers, policymakers, healthcare and national leaders should recognize that early intervention is crucial to maximize wellbeing.

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Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:08:21 +0000

For many hospitals across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has been both revealing and stressful. Due to the remarkable resilience and perserverance of the healthcare workforce, hospitals were able to save the lives of many patients weakened by the virus, even within an unprepared or sub-optimal healthcare context. The dedication of hospital personnel and the solidarity within and between hospitals (even across different regions or countries)1 were essential in helping to turn the tide in the fight against COVID-19.

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A global call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:07:01 +0000

Perhaps more than any time in recent history, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the vital role that health and care workers play in caring for the global population. Yet it has become increasingly clear over the last three years that we – as policymakers, employers and, ultimately, society – have largely failed in our duty of care for these essential workers, particularly with regard to their mental health and wellbeing. Even before the pandemic, challenging working conditions, ethical dilemmas, and high-stress environments were known to increase the likelihood of mental health conditions among this group. The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on health services has exacerbated these issues and has also revealed stark gaps in how most health systems assess, manage and protect the mental health of their health and care workers.

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Islamic ethics and the healthcare of children in the genetics era

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:03:56 +0000

Advancements in genetics and genomics have provided great opportu- nities for improving children’s health and the overall wellbeing of their families. These opportunities, however, are often intertwined with complex ethical questions and challenges that need to be examined in light of people’s moral and religio-ethical convictions. This report focuses on the ethical questions triggered by four main types of genetic testing, namely: premarital; preimplantation; prenatal; and newborn. From the 1990s onward, Muslim religious scholars and biomedical scientists, with the help of transnational Islamic institutions, have been engaged in intensive deliberations on the ethical aspects of genetics and genomics, including these tests. The analyses, recom- mendations and conclusions provided in this study are based on extensive and critical reading of these deliberations. To put the Islamic bioethical perspectives in their broader context, we also included a multidisciplinary review of the latest biomedical knowledge and the relevant international bioethical discourse.

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Unlocking access to patient records and aiding decision-making

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:02:14 +0000

Empowered and engaged patients have been described as “the block- buster drug of the century,”1 but all too often this aspect of patient care is neglected. The COVID-19 pandemic has, and continues to be, an immense challenge for individuals, communities and health systems. However, it has also been an opportunity to rethink how care is delivered and patients are engaged. The response to the pandemic meant that physical interac- tions were restricted in many countries and digital tools have often been seen as a solution. In this report we use the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine how digital tools can empower and engage patients. We start by reflecting on how digital tools can support patients as they manage their health and their interactions with a health system (Section 1). We then focus on two examples that are fundamental to empowering patients to make choices around their care: patient portals allowing people to access their medical records (Section 2), and patient decision aids to facilitate informed involvement in treatment choices.

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A roadmap for navigating future pandemics

wish admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:00:48 +0000

Over the past two-and-a-half years, it has become increasingly clear that most health systems are not sufficiently resilient to withstand major shocks. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on a global scale. Health systems have been inundated with COVID-19 patients; routine and elective care has been interrupted and postponed; and the healthcare workforce has been left overwhelmed and burned out. As we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we acknowledge the health system vulnerabilities exposed during this crisis and ensure that we address these weaknesses to prepare for future pandemics and shocks.

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