Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - - A roadmap to a healthier world was unveiled Tuesday as more than 1000 world leaders, policy makers and healthcare experts gathered in Doha to discuss new and ground-breaking solutions to the most urgent global health challenges at the second World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH).

With the spread of Ebola, the continuing rise in heart disease, the advancing wave of diabetes, the growing cost of cancer care, the growth of mental illness; there has never been a more pressing time to address these issues and identify solutions for generations to come.

Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Founder of (WISH), Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser addressed attending dignitaries and delegates praising the research teams for their commitment to uncovering vital new solutions to some of the world’s biggest health crises.

"The WISH conference helps change our global health reality towards achieving a greater ambition of providing quality health coverage for all", Her Highness said.

Healthcare and healthcare access go to the heart of human rights,Her Highness said adding "we cannot overcome our healthcare challenges unless we begin to invest in solutions that link health and education, as they are intrinsically connected.

Innovation in education leads us to innovation in health. It is our wish to promote the causes of both access to basic primary education and universal health coverage",she added.

WISH acts as a melting pot of ideas, innovations, solutions and action – all aimed at saving lives and saving money,Her Highness stressed.

Following this morning’s welcome speech, delegates were invited to attend the unveiling of new research, introductions to new innovations, participate in discussion panels and share ideas, all aimed at creating solutions for growing and costly global health issues including Cancer, Diabetes, Dementia and Mental Health.

Today’s summit presents a unique opportunity for experts from around the world to share and explore the best evidence-based ideas in healthcare. Over the course of the two-day summit eight major reports will be published, examining research and case studies from around the world to provide new learnings and solutions to diverse and widespread health challenges.

Meanwhile, WISH is also showcasing some of the newest and most ground-breaking health innovations from around the world including virtual surgery, 3D-printed prosthetics and mobile apps.

Day one of the summit, saw five forums present new research papers on diabetes, mental health and wellbeing in children, universal health coverage, patient safety and dementia. These papers offer workable, cost-effective and evidence-based solutions for governments to adopt and implement around the world.

WISH supports the aims and ambitions of Qatar Foundation and reinforces Qatar’s role as an emerging center for healthcare innovation. Qatar has been at the forefront of healthcare reform in the region with its introduction of a visionary national health strategy. As part of its mission, Qatar Foundation has launched a number of initiatives in healthcare from scientific research in medicine to maternal health and clinical care.

President of Qatar Foundation, Saad Al-Muhannadi, said: "WISH is a leading influence in global healthcare and I am very proud of the indispensable contribution it is making to healthcare systems worldwide.

By bringing the world's leading innovators to Doha today, WISH is creating a truly unique opportunity for unprecedented collaboration, promoting innovations that will form the basis of the healthcare systems of the future, Al-Muhannadi said.

This year WISH is hosting two special panels; one that will take place today on Genomics, looking at the future of personalized medicine and the ethical dilemmas this new frontier in healthcare could bring; and one taking place tomorrow on Newborn and Maternal Health hosted alongside The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Harvard University and Save the Children.

Delegates today discovered a unique Young Innovators display which has invited the next generation of global experts to showcase their healthcare innovations to attending international experts allowing direct and swift uptake of these valuable and grassroots ideas. One such example is Braci, a simple but highly effective app that turns sounds into vibrations or images for deaf people to be alerted to reducing the reliance on hearing dogs, carers and costly in-house emergency systems.

Offering a truly international perspective, attendees were given the chance to hear from distinguished keynote speakers including former White House health advisor Don Berwick and health cover expert Mark Bertolini.