Doha                                                                                                                                                                                  20 April 2018                                                                                                                                                                (Daily Gulf Times)

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), has convened a team of global experts to prepare a special report on healthcare in conflict settings, to be presented at WISH 2018.

The report was announced at a WISH event at the University of Oxford’s Harris Manchester College recently, by Dr Mukesh Kapila, chair of the WISH Healthcare in Conflict Zones Research Group. Dr Kapila, who is a professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester, was one of two special guest speakers at the event.

He was joined as a guest speaker by Dr Mohamed bin Ghanim al-Ali al-Maadheed, chairman of Qatar Red Crescent. Dr al-Maadheed is one of the global experts who will be contributing to the WISH report, which will explore the many challenges faced by communities and healthcare practitioners living and working in conflict zones around the world. Experts from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), the International Rescue Committee, Humanity First, and the World Health Organisation will also contribute.

The WISH event gathered representatives of several organisations from across the UK that have an interest in the topic highlighted. Among those present were representatives of humanitarian groups, charities, universities, and think tanks.
Dr Kapila, said, “We live during a time of unprecedented challenges for humankind, and central to our well-being is healthcare. We may or may not know how to end wars, but I believe that we’re definitely capable of mitigating suffering.

“Just because you’re living in a warzone doesn’t mean that you have to live with ill health. I’m very keen that through WISH’s focus on healthcare in conflict settings we’ll spearhead a global effort to bring help and hope to the tens of millions of people affected by conflict.”

The event was one of three that have been organised by WISH at the University of Oxford this April. Previously, the Qatar Foundation initiative used a lecture by Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity, to announce a report on anxiety and depression.

The third event is a public lecture by Dr Mohamed Ghaly on Islamic ethics and palliative care at the Investcorp Lecture Theatre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford.