The summit attracted 1,400 delegates including 40 ministers of health, policy makers and experts from over 100 countries and territories.
In her speech as the plenary session, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien shared Vietnam's experiences in the prevention and control of emerging epidemics such as SARS, Zika, MecV, as well as proposed measures to cope with a number of re-occurring diseases such as Hand, foot and mouth disease; dengue, malaria, among others.
On the occasion, Health Minister Tien also called on international organisations to cooperate and support Vietnam in enhancing the production capacity of vaccines in order to prevent diseases in a proactive and effective manner.
During her stay in Qatar, the Health Minister also held bilateral talks with Qatar's Minister of Health. The two sides agreed to boost cooperation in developing traditional medicine and disease prevention, as well as discussed plans to send Vietnamese nurses to work in Qatar.
The Minister also paid a visit to Hamad Hospital, the largest in Qatar and a primary healthcare centre in Doha.
WISH, an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), was launched in 2013 with the goal of creating a community where the world’s leading innovators, researchers and policymakers could share their ideas and work together to apply the most effective practices for the benefit of local and global populations. In the years since, WISH has proven itself to be a successful platform for action around the world.
Since its inception in 2013, WISH has had a direct impact in creating tangible solutions in healthcare advocacy, policy, research, and delivery, providing recommendations and support in identifying solutions to pressing local and global healthcare challenges.
WISH is an integral part of the dynamic research and innovation environment supported by the Qatar Foundation, and, as one of QF’s primary healthcare initiatives, it is committed to helping position Qatar as a leading centre of excellence and innovation for healthcare both locally and globally.
Each year, WISH highlights innovations in healthcare through its Young Innovators Competition as well as via its Young Innovators and Young Leaders programmes, which serve as platforms to showcase tomorrow’s most promising healthcare leaders. Their innovations include devices, applications, innovative delivery models and design-based solutions that improve the quality of care and patient experience, while also reducing the cost of care.
Innovation Showcases provide a chance for entrepreneurs to exhibit their healthcare innovations and enables delegates to engage with ideas that are changing healthcare from the ground up.
With 109 countries represented at the summit - the majority by ministerial delegations - and measurable impact across the local health policy and delivery landscape, WISH has delivered on its mission. In depth of research and scope of impact, it has no equivalent anywhere in the world.”
In addition to the annual summit, WISH has several ongoing projects, including the Global Diffusion of Healthcare Innovation (GDHI), an assessment of how healthcare systems around the world adopt new innovations and trasnfer them successfully, with the aim of inspiring other countries to adopt the most innovative methods and ideas. It also examines cultural behaviours that influence the transmission of new ideas, such as the way each country engages with healthcare professionals, patients and the wider public, and highlights particular areas where countries are successfully creating these conditions.