Israel trying to make Gaza uninhabited by targeting health facilities, says Palestine Minister of Health at WISH
Ministers and world health leaders set bold policy recommendations to protect healthcare in war at Qatar Foundation’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2024
WISH/QF
image:
Maged Abu Ramadan, the Minister of Health for Palestine, speaking at WISH 2024
view moreCredit: World Innovation Summit for Health
14 November 2024. Doha, Qatar — Speaking at a World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) panel discussion in Doha today on protecting healthcare systems, Maged Abu Ramadan , the Minister of Health for Palestine said that numbers of people dead or hospitals destroyed don’t tell the story: “What is important is human life, human beings, human dignity. In Gaza, the most important things to us are our country, our dignity and our children. What is very important is that they want to make Gaza uninhabited. That's why they are targeting health facilities.”
Protecting healthcare in conflict is a theme being discussed throughout the two-day Summit. At the morning’s plenary session, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, discussed the increase in attacks on health, especially in the past two years. “Healthcare facilities should not be a target, especially given the increased need for healthcare during war,” said Dr. Tedros. He emphasized that two-thirds of the people dying are women and children and that stopping the war in Gaza and bringing the parties to a negotiating table is crucial.
“The key to a solution lies with Israel,” Dr Tedros said. “Israel should understand that it's in its best interest to resolve this.”
Dr. Tedros recalled the scenes of “horror” he has witnessed in Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere. “We are sleepwalking into a nuclear war,” said Dr. Tedros.
Discussions on these topics were based around the newly published WHO/WISH report ‘In the Line of Fire: Protecting Health in Armed Conflict’, that emphasizes the need for a bold, unified response to protect health in times of conflict.
Among other actions, the report calls for a global alliance and a UN Special Rapporteur for the protection of healthcare in conflict.
Speakers at the panel session included Dr. Rick Brennan Regional Emergency Director for WHO, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean; Ms. Sigrid Kaag, UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza; Prof. Leonard Rubenstein, Distinguished Professor of the Practice, Center for Public Health and Human Rights; Dr Mads Gilbert, Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Arctic University of Norway; H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and the Minister of Health and Population; and H.E. Mr. Yousef Bin Ali Alkhater, Qatar Red Crescent President.
Since 2000, violence against healthcare and health workers during times of conflict has risen, according to the WHO/WISH report, despite the International Humanitarian Law protecting medical care in conflict. Vital health services have been attacked and severely disputed, leaving civilians and vulnerable populations without essential care.
Since 2018, WHO has documented more than 7,000 incidents of attacks on health care in which more than 2,200 health workers and patients lost their lives and more than 4,600 people were injured across 21 reporting countries and territories with complex humanitarian emergencies.
This year, WISH was opened in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and founder of WISH. The opening ceremony, held at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, included speeches from Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s former Minister of Public Health; Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH; and Christos Christou, President of Médecins Sans Frontières.
The theme of WISH 2024 is ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity and Resilience’. It aims to highlight the need for innovation in health to support everyone, leaving nobody behind and building resilience, especially among vulnerable societies and in areas of armed conflict.
Ahead of the summit, WISH entered into a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), collaborating on the development of a series of evidence-based reports and policy papers, as well as working with the United Nations’ health agency to develop a post-summit implementation strategy.
The summit features more than 200 experts in health speaking about evidence-based ideas and practices in healthcare innovation to address the world’s most urgent global health challenges.
Qatar Foundation’s WISH 2024 Summit begins with focus on global health challenges in times of conflict
International leaders in health discuss some of the world’s most pressing health issues at the World Innovation Summit for Health’s seventh biennial global conference in Qatar.
WISH/QF
image:
Lord Ara Darzi at the opening ceremony of the World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha
view moreCredit: World Innovation Summit for Health
Doha, Qatar, 14 November 2024: WISH 2024 – the seventh edition of a biennial global gathering of healthcare expertise hosted by Qatar Foundation’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – opened with an emphasis on the importance of innovative solutions to ensure equitable health access for all.
Speakers at the opening ceremony, held at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, included Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s former Minister of Public Health; Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH; and Dr. Christos Christou, President of Médecins Sans Frontières.
In her opening remarks, Her Excellency Dr. Al Kuwari said: “Under the visionary leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, WISH continues to expand as a global community committed to making healthcare accessible and humane.
“At WISH, we strive to present the world’s most cutting-edge ideas and scientific advancements. But we also focus on confronting the urgent challenges before us.
“This year’s theme, ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity, and Resilience’, reflects our commitment to addressing the profound health challenges people face worldwide, especially those who have, and continue to endure unimaginable hardship…. The toll of war and displacement has tested humanity’s resilience and underscored the urgent need for peace, health and protection.”
Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, spoke of challenges faced by those working to provide care during armed conflict: “War is a healthcare catastrophe. There can never be any justification for targeting healthcare personnel or infrastructure – it is purely and simply wrong. We must stand together to condemn such actions and honor those who courageously continue to provide care in the most appalling conditions.”
Reflecting on the summit theme of conflict, equity, and resilience, Dr. Christou said he was gravely concerned that attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have become the “new norm”.
“We need to know that there is a place that is respected, and that place is a hospital. We are scrambling without basic medicines, anesthetics or antibiotics. There are many doctors in Gaza who are amputating on children without anesthetic, for example,” Dr. Christou said.
When asked about the neutrality of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), he reiterated that the values of the organisation remain consistent, and they treat all in need, but doctors “have a mandate to bear witness, to be a voice of the voiceless.… Neutrality means many things, but it does not mean silence.”
A film shown during the opening ceremony told the story of 11-year-old Dareen Al Bayaa, a Palestinian girl who lost 47 members of her extended family on 22 October 2023 as a result of a devastating attack on her home in Gaza, with only Dareen and her five-year-old brother surviving and being taken to Doha for medical treatment. “Why is it ok for me to suffer? Is this fair?” asked Dareen in the film.
Ahead of the summit, WISH entered into a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), collaborating on the development of a series of evidence-based reports and policy papers, as well as working with the United Nations’ health agency to develop a post-summit implementation strategy.
Day one of the summit hosted discussion forums based on reports published by WISH and the WHO, alongside roundtable discussions and open sessions.
The first main discussion of the day was based on the joint WISH and WHO 2024 report titled ‘In the line of fire: Protecting health in armed conflict’, chaired by Richard Brennan, the Regional Emergency Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO. He was joined by expert speakers including His Excellency Yousuf Al Khater, President of Qatar Red Crescent Society; and Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.
This forum was followed by a discussion on antimicrobial resistance, based on the report ‘Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR): How to keep antibiotics working for the next century’, chaired by the report’s co-author Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy for AMR. She was joined by Her Excellency Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health; Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO; Dr. Christos Christou; and Dr. Nour Shamas, a member of the AMR Narrative.
The final main discussion of the summit’s first day was based on the report ‘AI and Healthcare Ethics in the Gulf Region: An Islamic Perspective on Medical Accountability’, and discussed the ethics of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. This session featured the report’s lead author Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Bioethics at the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and an expert panel including Dr. Barry Solaiman, Assistant Professor of Law at HBKU.
Alongside discussions based on WISH reports, additional sessions focused on topics such as women’s cancer, palliative care, and Sudan’s ‘forgotten’ war.
The summit has brought together more than 200 experts in health to discuss evidence-based ideas and practices in healthcare innovation to address the world’s most urgent global health challenges.
Doha, Qatar, 13 November 2024: WISH 2024 – the seventh edition of a biennial global gathering of healthcare expertise hosted by Qatar Foundation’s World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) – opened today, emphasizing the importance of innovative solutions to ensure equitable health access for all.
Speakers at the opening ceremony, held at Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, included Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Qatar’s former Minister of Public Health; Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH; and Dr. Christos Christou, President of Médecins Sans Frontières.
In her opening remarks, Her Excellency Dr. Al Kuwari said: “Under the visionary leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, WISH continues to expand as a global community committed to making healthcare accessible and humane.
“At WISH, we strive to present the world’s most cutting-edge ideas and scientific advancements. But we also focus on confronting the urgent challenges before us.
“This year’s theme, ‘Humanizing Health: Conflict, Equity, and Resilience’, reflects our commitment to addressing the profound health challenges people face worldwide, especially those who have, and continue to endure unimaginable hardship…. The toll of war and displacement has tested humanity’s resilience and underscored the urgent need for peace, health and protection.”
Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, spoke of challenges faced by those working to provide care during armed conflict: “War is a healthcare catastrophe. There can never be any justification for targeting healthcare personnel or infrastructure – it is purely and simply wrong. We must stand together to condemn such actions and honor those who courageously continue to provide care in the most appalling conditions.”
Reflecting on the summit theme of conflict, equity, and resilience, Dr. Christou said he was gravely concerned that attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have become the “new norm”.
“We need to know that there is a place that is respected, and that place is a hospital. We are scrambling without basic medicines, anesthetics or antibiotics. There are many doctors in Gaza who are amputating on children without anesthetic, for example,” Dr. Christou said.
When asked about the neutrality of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), he reiterated that the values of the organisation remain consistent, and they treat all in need, but doctors “have a mandate to bear witness, to be a voice of the voiceless.… Neutrality means many things, but it does not mean silence.”
A film shown during the opening ceremony told the story of 11-year-old Dareen Al Bayaa, a Palestinian girl who lost 47 members of her extended family on 22 October 2023 as a result of a devastating attack on her home in Gaza, with only Dareen and her five-year-old brother surviving and being taken to Doha for medical treatment. “Why is it ok for me to suffer? Is this fair?” asked Dareen in the film.
Ahead of the summit, WISH entered into a strategic partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), collaborating on the development of a series of evidence-based reports and policy papers, as well as working with the United Nations’ health agency to develop a post-summit implementation strategy.
Day one of the summit hosted discussion forums based on reports published by WISH and the WHO, alongside roundtable discussions and open sessions.
The first main discussion of the day was based on the joint WISH and WHO 2024 report titled ‘In the line of fire: Protecting health in armed conflict’, chaired by Richard Brennan, the Regional Emergency Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO. He was joined by expert speakers including His Excellency Yousuf Al Khater, President of Qatar Red Crescent Society; and Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.
This forum was followed by a discussion on antimicrobial resistance, based on the report ‘Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR): How to keep antibiotics working for the next century’, chaired by the report’s co-author Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy for AMR. She was joined by Her Excellency Dr. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Sweden’s Ambassador for Global Health; Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO; Dr. Christos Christou; and Dr. Nour Shamas, a member of the AMR Narrative.
The final main discussion of the summit’s first day was based on the report ‘AI and Healthcare Ethics in the Gulf Region: An Islamic Perspective on Medical Accountability’, and discussed the ethics of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. This session featured the report’s lead author Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Bioethics at the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics at Qatar Foundation’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and an expert panel including Dr. Barry Solaiman, Assistant Professor of Law at HBKU.
Alongside discussions based on WISH reports, additional sessions focused on topics such as women’s cancer, palliative care, and Sudan’s ‘forgotten’ war.
The summit has brought together more than 200 experts in health to discuss evidence-based ideas and practices in healthcare innovation to address the world’s most urgent global health challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment