Call for joint initiative on global health

The London summit was jointly organised by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, yesterday called on the global healthcare community to build a common front in tackling health issues in new and innovative ways. Addressing the Global Health Policy Summit in London, HH Sheikha Moza stressed the need to strengthen joint efforts to improve prevention and treatment of diseases. “I hardly need say that disease knows no borders – and neither can our efforts to co-ordinate and improve prevention and treatment,” she told delegates at the summit. “The provision of quality, accessible and affordable health services is one of the most daunting challenges we face today.” A network of influential health leaders from around the world attended the Global Health Policy Summit, with the aim of sharing knowledge and experience in addressing some of the most pressing healthcare issues facing the global community today. The high-profile event, held at the Guildhall in the British capital, was jointly organised by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI). Announcing that next year’s summit will be organised in Doha by Qatar Foundation, Sheikha Moza said: “Our summit next year in Qatar will bring together health innovators and reformers from around the world to exchange ideas, learn from international experience and collaborate in developing the new solutions we so urgently need. “We hope that the annual health summit in Qatar will become a natural counterpart to our annual WISE event (the World Innovation Summit for Education) which is for the global education sector.” At the summit in London, more than 500 delegates convened to discuss the challenges faced by practitioners and policy-makers in areas including maternal health, primary care, ageing societies and digital innovation in healthcare. British Prime Minister David Cameron, who addressed the delegates at the closing session, hailed the “significant gathering of global clinicians, policy makers, investors and entrepreneurs”. Qatar Foundation president Dr Mohamed Fathy Saoud acknowledged the “significance of globalised partnerships to meet future challenges that adapt to changing healthcare needs”. He said: “We at Qatar Foundation are strong advocates and believers of creating partnerships and exploring synergies, sharing knowledge and experience. “We are dedicated and committed to support innovative initiatives, wherever they emerge from around the world and thus aspire to contribute in addressing humanity’s common challenges.” Speaking at the summit, Prof Lord Darzi of Denham, chairman for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College and co-chair of the summit, said:  “It is a great privilege to be working so closely with the Qatar Foundation at such an important summit, focusing on how we develop the best healthcare systems, with the widest access, to secure the sustained health improvements the people of the world demand. “We are immensely grateful for the enthusiastic support, participation and leadership of the Qatar Foundation.” “The summit is aligned with the vision of Sheikha Moza and represents her commitment to raising the standards of healthcare nationally to meet standards of healthcare at the global level,” a release issued  by Qatar Foundation said last night. “Through a number of QF research-health initiatives, including partnerships with Imperial College London, such as Biobank Qatar, Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre and Qatar Cardiovascular Research Centre, this vision is now being realised in many areas of research-driven health based on centres of excellence in stem cell, cancer research, proteomics, genomic medicine, maternal and child care provision,” the release said. Participants at the summit discussed critical issues by drawing on a new set of policy discussion documents that have been developed by leading experts in international working groups. In these papers, specialists analysed international success stories, identified innovations with the potential to make a difference and derived practical lessons for health leaders. During panel sessions, participants shared best practice in healthcare, resulting in the drafting of white papers on crucial themes that will form the basis of next year’s summit in Doha. “This will reinforce Qatar’s visionary National Healthcare Strategy that sets out long-term goals for healthcare in Qatar, and is directly linked to the country’s National Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy,” said the QF release. From: Gulf Times