WISH playing crucial role in global healthcare: CEO

Doha: The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) has over the years grown to emerge as a major platform that is playing a crucial role in advancing...

Doha: The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) has over the years grown to emerge as a major platform that is playing a crucial role in advancing global health by fostering innovation, promoting evidence-based policy, advocating for vulnerable populations, building global partnerships, and elevating Qatar’s global health profile, the CEO of WISH, Dr. Slim Slama, has said.

Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday on the sidelines of the two-day event that ends today, Dr. Slama, who was until recently the Unit Head of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) management at the World Health Organization (WHO), noted that this year’s edition is particularly important considering the crisis in parts of the region and its adverse impacts on the healthcare sector.

“WISH has really been able to frame the issue that matters and also bring the views from the region into global perspective by being able to be at the pulse of what’s happening. WISH has also given a voice to those who are unheard, especially from the perspective of healthcare, and it has continuously helped in highlighting not only the challenges in the healthcare sector but also potential solutions—what people are doing on the ground and the effort that is there, among others,” he said.

The 2024 WISH Summit, with its theme “Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity, and Resilience,” is addressing a number of issues, including the impact of conflict on healthcare, health inequities, and building resilience in healthcare systems.

The Summit underscores the need for health innovation that supports everyone, leaves no one behind, and builds resilience, particularly for vulnerable communities and in regions affected by armed conflict.