World Innovation Summit for Health

The Global Health Policy Summit was held on 1 August 2012 at London’s Guildhall.[4] The event was organized jointly by Imperial College London and Qatar Foundation.[5]

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”.[6] He also noted the creation of an evidence base for healthcare innovation and best practice.[7]

More than 500 delegates attended, including health ministers, policy-makers, industry representatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, and non-governmental organizations.[7] 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.[7][8] UK Prime Minister David Cameron described the timing of the event as “significant” in his keynote address.[9] Moza bint Nasser announced that the Summit would continue on an annual basis as the World Innovation Summit for Health.[2]

The inaugural WISH Summit was planned to be at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on 10–11 December 2013.[2] More than 500 delegates were expected to attend[3] witn speakers to include Aung San Suu Kyi; Boris Johnson (who was then 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.[10] The global healthcare issues chosen for 2013 were: obesity, mental health, accountable care, end-of-life care, road traffic injury, patient engagement, antimicrobial resistance, and big data and healthcare.[11][12] Participating countries were expected to implement any measures agreed in further reports published at the conclusion of the Summit.[13]

The Summit was also planned to feature the launch of a new ‘Global Innovation Diffusion Study’, which assesses and compares national healthcare systems’ contribution to global change.[3] The national healthcare systems to be assessed include those of Qatar, England, the United States, Brazil, India, Australia, Spain, and South Africa.[13][14]