With the main title, “Humanizing Health,” the seventh edition of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) was launched in the Qatari capital, Doha, today, with the participation of a number of international organizations and experts in the field of medical technology.
The WISH conference, whose opening session was attended by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, focuses on equality and resilience in the field of health. This includes multiple tracks, the most important of which are innovation and change at the system level, community-led participation, and the health of vulnerable groups and minorities. Population and health protection in armed conflict.
The seventh edition of this global conference represents a vital meeting that brings together leaders and experts committed to improving health outcomes at the global level. More than 200 health experts participate in the summit to discuss evidence-based ideas and practices in health innovation to address the most pressing health challenges in the world.
Healthy cities
In the opening session of the summit, the CEO of WISH, Professor Lord Darzi, said that the health system in the State of Qatar has achieved multiple successes, expecting innovations to continue and improvement, progress and success to continue at the global level in the field of health.
Lord Darzi explained that health systems in the developed world can learn a lot from Qatar, especially after it expanded its network of health facilities, implemented the healthy cities system throughout the country, and worked to improve and maintain patient records.
He pointed out that the tragedies the world is witnessing, especially the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and the conflicts in Sudan and in the entire region; It exacerbates the suffering of the population and leads to unimaginable health disasters.
He stressed that targeting medical personnel, or even health infrastructure, cannot be justified, but must be denounced, expressing at the same time his gratitude to all health teams and all employees in the field of health care who have dedicated their lives to providing health care during these crises.
The CEO of the WISH Summit added that the summit focuses this year on strengthening relations between health personnel and patients, improving women’s health by focusing on cancer prevention, combating tuberculosis among refugees and immigrants, and in addition, improving the provision of health care for the elderly.
The same speaker explained that protecting the progress made in health over the past century, and protecting the future of public health, requires prioritizing financing, raising awareness, ensuring equitable access, and advocating for the responsible use of antibiotics.
He called for the need to develop policies, enhance communication, and use all possible capabilities to improve health services and encourage innovations to build a better and healthier world.
Targeting paramedics
For his part, Dr. Christos Christou, President of Doctors Without Borders, spoke about the challenges faced by health sector workers in conflict areas, noting the death of 8 of the organization’s employees and more than a thousand health care providers during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
He added that less than half of the hospitals in Gaza are partially functioning in light of the almost complete absence of anesthesia, injections, medicines, antibiotics and various emergency tools, which confirms that there is no safe place in the Strip and that everyone is targeted.
He expressed his concern about the deliberate targeting of medical personnel and the loss of large numbers of them during the bombing, a phenomenon that has “recently” become a new norm that must be ended by protecting these employees by activating international and humanitarian laws and rules of engagement, calling for everyone’s solidarity to achieve this goal, especially since targeting caregivers. Health greatly affects people’s lives.
Christos Christou pointed out that the organization includes more than 16,000 health employees who need to ensure their insurance and facilitate their access to the injured by all parties, especially since they provide treatment to everyone without discrimination. He pointed out that what is happening in the Gaza Strip is beyond imagination, as basic supplies are non-existent and the situation is getting worse by the day. After another, there are horrors that have happened and are happening.
The head of Doctors Without Borders pointed out that despite the bleak situation in the Gaza Strip, “we must have hope, continue to raise the voices of the vulnerable, convey the testimonies of the injured, respect humanitarian principles, work independently, and provide services without discrimination.”
He sent a message to the international community that in light of the current and future challenges, we must defend frameworks and laws, adhere to humanitarian principles and values, teamwork, and maintain cohesion and partnerships to provide the required assistance.
This year has been devastating for the health sector, which is being targeted in war and conflict zones more than ever before, and the holding of the World Innovation Summit for Healthcare (WISH) comes to shed light on the impact of this targeting on the health sector and its workers and how to limit its repercussions.
This year has… pic.twitter.com/FHhrQditJ4
– Moza bint Nasser Moza bint Nasser (@mozabintnasser) November 13, 2024
Discussion and diversity
The first major discussion of the day began with a joint WISH-WHO report for 2024 entitled “In the crosshairs: targeting health systems in armed conflicts.” The session was chaired by Richard Brennan, Regional Emergency Director for the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, and the President of the Crescent Society participated. Red Qatari Yousef Al Khater, and the Senior United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag.
This session was followed by an important discussion on antibiotic resistance, based on the report “Confronting Antibiotic Resistance: How to Maintain the Effectiveness of Antibiotics for the Next Century.” The session was chaired by the Special Envoy for Antibiotic Resistance in the United Kingdom, Professor Dame Sally Davies, and the session was participated by the Health Ambassador. Dr. Karin Tegmark Wessel, a scientist from Sweden, and the Regional Director of the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization, Dr. Hanan Balkhi.
The day’s discussions concluded with the report “Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare Ethics in the Gulf: An Islamic Perspective on Medical Responsibility,” which touched on the ethics of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The session was chaired by Dr. Muhammad Ghali, Professor of Islam and Bioethics at the Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and a number of experts participated in it.
CEO of WISH: Health systems in the developed world can learn a lot from one country #Qatar#Qenahttps://t.co/e1HOUOsqg9 pic.twitter.com/Ww2rK4Ehfw
– Qatar News Agency (@QatarNewsAgency) November 13, 2024
Alongside the main discussions based on the WISH reports, additional sessions were held covering topics as diverse as women’s cancer, palliative care and Sudan’s forgotten war.
The Innovation Summit (WISH), a biennial initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development dedicated to capturing and disseminating the best ideas and evidence-based practices to address the world’s most pressing global health challenges.