Doha, November 19 (QNA) - Bringing together more than 60,000 people from around the world, Qatar Foundation's fifth World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) held for the first time virtually came to a close on Thursday.

Featuring more than 300 global speakers and 100 sessions, attendees heard from international health ministers, scientists, academics, public health leaders, and policymakers. Also, more than 15 policy-focused research reports were released over the course of the five-day summit.

At the closing ceremony, the CEO of WISH Sultana Afdhal, encouraged participants and conference partners to move forward with innovation in healthcare: "I look forward to continuing our collaboration in the months and years ahead as this community - the WISH community - continues to address and take on healthcare issues that result in real and long-lasting change."

In her closing remarks, Sultana Afdhal added: "This summit has powerfully demonstrated that there are many other pressing issues, including climate change, that continue to urgently require our focus and expertise and that collaboration is the key to solving many global healthcare issues. Although WISH 2020 is now concluding, our work to highlight and engage health does not."

WISH announced two grand prize winners from the 30 winning innovators to be selected as part of their Innovation competition. The winner in the Spark Award category, which targeted start-ups, was SOSO Care from Nigeria, a micro mobile health insurance startup that enables people to pay for health insurance with recyclable waste, while the Ellen Medical Affordable Dialysis System from Australia won the Booster Award for scale-ups.

Under the summit banner of 'One World, Our Health', WISH maintained a focus on the most urgent global healthcare challenges amid the focus on responses to the global coronavirus pandemic. WISH 2020 called for addressing disparities in healthcare that have deepened during the pandemic; to accelerate new modes of care through digital health solutions; and to focus more on children's health, especially in conflict or trauma situations. Climate change was addressed as a growing emergency while the role of education in healthcare was brought to the forefront.

Other messages were the need to remain vigilant in the battle against existing healthcare challenges and epidemics, and to guard against the growing pattern of misinformation surrounding care.

WISH 2020 covered 10 core research areas, including digital technologies and mental health, the role of schools in child health, health challenges of major sporting events, climate change, and each chaired by recognized experts in the field.

The summit also acted as the platform for launch of the French translation of the worlds first pediatric blast injury field manual, a project undertaken by WISH for Save The Children, with translation provided by the Translation and Interpreting Institute of Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

Networking sessions and other activities were held in the Innovation Hub, which had an exhibition space for WISH innovators and summit partners. Participants also had full access to a library, a cinema, and a photo gallery, allowing them to experience an immersive virtual summit experience. (QNA)