Global healthcare experts gather for Doha summit

By Joseph VargheseStaff ReporterMore than 1,000 leading global healthcare experts will be taking part in the  Second  World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) that begins   at the Qatar National Convention Centre today. The two-day summit,  an initiative of Qatar Foundation and held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser,  features a number of royals, ambassadors, decision makers as well as six Qatari ministers and 26 ministers from around the world. HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of the QF , will  address the summit today.Dr. Donald M Berwick,  president emeritus and senior fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Mark T Bertolini,  chairman, CEO and president, Aetna Inc, Dr. Devi P Shetty,  chairman and founder, Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals and Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International are the  keynote speakers of the summit.Leading world experts will join an influential community of heads of state, government ministers, academics, clinicians, policy makers and business leaders to discuss innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global health challenges at the various sessions of the event. The summit has WISH Forums on topics such as Delivering Affordable Cancer Care, Communicating Complex Health Messages, Diabetes, Dementia, Universal Health Coverage, Mental Health and Well Being in Children, Patient Safety and Maternal and Newborn Health. Chaired by a team of experts drawn from academia, industry and policy making, the forums will look in depth at the challenges faced in each area. The forum reports will present some of the very best innovations that will have real impact across the developed and developing world.Innovation showcases, representing  some of the world’s most exciting healthcare innovations,  ranging from practical devices and business models, to design-based solutions, is another feature of the summit. They  provide a chance for entrepreneurs to exhibit their innovations in front of some of the world’s leading health experts and decision makers.This year, WISH showcases received 80 applications from 26 countries in all areas of health innovation: digital health, healthcare products, design-solutions and innovative health systems and services. Selected entries  include a Qatari initiative -  “Your Health First” - and all of them will be given the chance to present their ideas to the global health experts attending the summit.