A major Qatari healthcare initiative will be showcased among some of the world’s most exciting healthcare innovations at the upcoming the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, in Doha, Qatar.

The second WISH Summit will take place on February 17 and 18 at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

Run by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), a member of Qatar Foundation, Qatari ‘Sahtak Awalan’ – ‘Your Health First’ is a unique wellness promotion programme designed to encourage the Qatari population to lead healthy lifestyles.

The five-year educational campaign targets all sections of society, with a particular focus on helping young people aged between 10 and 25 years to make positive, healthy lifestyle decisions.

This year’s WISH has received 80 applications from 26 countries in all areas of health innovation: digital health, healthcare products, design-solutions and innovative health systems and services. Selected entries, including ‘Your Health First’, will be given the chance to present their ideas to more than 1,000 leading global healthcare experts attending the 2015 summit.

‘Your Health First’ was launched in 2012 by Abdulla bin Khalid Al-Qahtani, Minister of Public Health, with a plan to raise awareness of the issue of obesity in Qatar where 70 per cent of adults are overweight and 41 per cent obese.

Al Qahtani said: “Your Health First is a crucial initiative due to its leading role in promoting health awareness, and it is imperative that it is presented at the World Innovation Summit for Health as an Innovation Showcase that delegates could learn from, alongside other unique global healthcare innovations to be revealed at the summit.”

Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q in Qatar, said: “Through its Innovation Showcases, WISH offers the perfect platform for us to share the potential of ‘Your Health First’ while we take the lead here in Qatar to encourage a new generation of health-aware young adults. It is crucial we educate and inspire our Qatari youth to take ownership of their health and their bodies to enable the best possible fitness for a lifetime of happiness and success.”

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, executive chair of WISH, said: “Our Innovation Showcases aim to highlight new ideas that have the potential to help transform healthcare worldwide.”

“Educational campaigns such as ‘Your Health First’ strongly support Qatar’s journey toward the fulfilment of Qatar National Vision 2030’s goals in healthcare, and we are delighted to showcase a key Qatari initiative that further contributes to our mission of disseminating the best ideas in healthcare for the benefit of communities all over the globe.” – TradeArabia News Service