Speaking to delegates at WISH 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that the COVID-19 pandemic is an “unprecedented crisis that demands an unprecedented response and unprecedented innovation. Necessity is the mother of invention”.
At the opening ceremony on day one of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Dr. Tedros, who himself was self-isolating, commented that since the beginning of the pandemic, people all over the world had found new ways to connect and have found a new way to work.
He commended the ongoing work in the healthcare sector across the globe and hailed the incredible achievement of the development of vaccines in less than a year.
He said: “Innovations in science and technology are helping us to respond us to the pandemic. More than 200 vaccines are now in development and we are starting to get the first results.”
In line with the theme of WISH 2020’s banner “One World Our Health”, Dr Tedros stressed the fact that the world had a responsibility to ensure that all countries around the world enjoy the benefits of innovation. He announced the launch of a COVID-19 tools accelerator, which ensures the fair allocation of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
Sounding a warning that politicians must focus on global health, Dr Tedros said: “Even before the pandemic, the world was off track for its sustainable development goals, and now we are even further behind. However, COVID-19 has shown why the goals, with their sweeping vision for people, the planet, prosperity, peace and partnership are so important, and why we must pursue them with even greater determination, collaboration and innovation.”
Dr Tedros noted that communities and governments across the globe must also look to the future and focus efforts to create a healthier environment for future generations.
“The pandemic is a once-in-a-century crisis, but it is also an opportunity to harness the power of innovation for the healthier, safer and more sustainable world we all want.”
Dr. Tedros addressed a global audience while speaking at WISH 2020. WISH, an initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a global healthcare community dedicated to capturing and disseminating the best evidence-based ideas and practices with a mission to create a healthier world through global collaboration
At its heart, WISH is a biennial global gathering that brings healthcare leaders, practitioners, advocates, researchers and idea generators together. Due to the restrictions posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, WISH 2020 is taking place virtually under the banner of ‘One World, Our Health’, on November 15-19.
WISH 2020 features more than 100 sessions and 300 global speakers and will discuss evidence-based content addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, as well as showcase health innovations from around the world in an expansive and interactive Innovation Hub.
