Parent organization Qatar Foundation | Website WISH | |
Type Non-profit organization | ||
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) is a global initiative whose aim is to ‘promote and facilitate innovation in healthcare delivery around the world.
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WISH was launched at the Global Health Policy Summit held in London on 1 August 2012. The inaugural WISH Summit was held in Doha in December 2013.
WISH is organized by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and operates under the patronage of its Co-founder and Chairperson, H.H Moza bint Nasser. The Right Honourable Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, is Executive Chair of WISH.
Global Health Policy Summit 2012
The Global Health Policy Summit was held on 1 August 2012 at London’s Guildhall. The event was organized jointly by Imperial College London and Qatar Foundation.
Lord Darzi stated that the purpose of the event was to “create a network that will allow accelerated innovation and the adoption of technology, processes, and business models”. He also noted the creation of an evidence base for healthcare innovation and best practice.
More than 500 delegates attended, including health ministers, policy-makers, industry representatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, and non-governmental organizations. Delegates discussed reports produced by expert working groups, or ‘Forums’, on six global health issues: primary care, digital innovation, aging societies, maternal health, non-communicable diseases, and innovative delivery models. UK Prime Minister David Cameron described the timing of the event as “significant” in his keynote address. Moza bint Nasser announced that the Summit would continue on an annual basis as the World Innovation Summit for Health.
World Innovation Summit for Health 2013
The inaugural WISH Summit will be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on 10–11 December 2013. More than 500 delegates are expected to attend and confirmed speakers include Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party; Boris Johnson, Mayor of London; John Dineen, President and CEO of GE Healthcare; and Sarah Brown, founding Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education and co-founder of the A World at School initiative.
As at the previous Summit, participants will discuss the findings of eight ‘Forums’. The global healthcare issues chosen for 2013 are: obesity, mental health, accountable care, end-of-life care, road traffic injury, patient engagement, antimicrobial resistance, and big data and healthcare. Participating countries are expected to implement any measures agreed in further reports published at the conclusion of the Summit.
The Summit will also feature the launch of a new ‘Global Innovation Diffusion Study’, which assesses and compares national healthcare systems’ contribution to global change. The national healthcare systems assessed include those of Qatar, England, the United States, Brazil, India, Australia, Spain, and South Africa.