Previously held for two days, the next edition of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) conference has been expanded to three days following the success of WISH 2018 and feedback from delegates. The conference, which will take place from November 16-18 next year, aims to be the most sustainable so far.
Expansion means that more attention can be given to each healthcare topic being scrutinised by summit delegates, with the main topics due to be announced over the coming months.
WISH 2020 will be the fifth edition of the Doha meeting which has quickly established itself a major fixture of the global healthcare calendar.
More than 100 countries were represented at WISH 2018, where more than 2,000 healthcare experts, policymakers, and innovators gathered to work collaboratively towards achieving the goal of building a healthier world.
Specific topics for WISH 2020 will be announced over the coming months and will focus on a range of medical, social, humanitarian, and policy-driven areas of local, regional, and global significance.
Ahead of each summit, reports providing policy recommendations are published for each of the main topics covered.
Lord Darzi of Denham, executive chair, WISH, said, “Evidence-based research continues to be the foundation of efforts to overcome global health challenges, and such research is at the core of our biennial summits.
“Through WISH, Qatar continues to provide a vital forum for exploring ways to improve health outcomes for communities both in Qatar and around the world. Next year’s expanded summit will provide a greater-than-ever opportunity for participants to contribute to truly effecting change.”
A commitment to sustainability will underpin WISH 2020 with a pledge to be 30% more environmentally friendly than previous summits due to use of recyclable materials, significant cuts in the use of plastic, more energy-efficient transport options, and a range of other measures that will centre around innovation.
Sultana Afdhal, chief executive, WISH, said, “It is impossible to ignore the effect that overconsumption and the misuse of limited resources is having on the world. Climate change presents a clear and present danger to human health, with infectious diseases spreading to new populations and extreme weather episodes threatening access to water and sanitation. With this in mind, we are committed to both looking for and promoting sustainable solutions to health challenges brought about by climate change, and to leading by example by making our summits more energy conscious.”
WISH 2020 will also feature “The Innovation Hub”, a large, interactive exhibition space inaugurated at WISH 2018, that showcases examples of healthcare innovation and provides an informal space for dynamic curated discussions.
A frame from one of the WISH summits.
