Health experts from around the world will turn an international spotlight on the coronavirus pandemic next week, through a special online edition of Qatar Foundation’s Education City Speaker Series in partnership with the World Innovation Summit for Health.

The event – titled Flattening the Curve: Global Responses to COVID-19, and taking place at 4pm on Wednesday, April 15 – will see speakers from Qatar, Oman, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan, and Switzerland analyze how different countries are tackling the challenges posed by COVID-19, and the lessons the pandemic may hold for the world.

It is the first edition of the Education City Speaker Series to be held online, with the panelists brought together by the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) and Qatar Foundation (QF) being Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean; Dr. David Nabarro, WHO COVID-19 Special Envoy; Dr. Salih Ali Al Marri, Assistant Minister for Health Affairs at Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health; Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY NGO; Dr. Hsiu-Hung Wang, President of the Taiwan Nurses Association; and Dr. Jerome Kim, Director-General of the International Vaccine Institute.

"We are pleased to be collaborating with the Education City Speaker Series team on an event that offers members of WISH’s global community of healthcare experts the opportunity to come together, albeit virtually, to discuss global responses to the current pandemic,” said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH.

“Since 2013, we have been holding panel discussions aimed at shedding light on pressing health challenges, arguing that global collaboration is vital if we are to build a healthier world. Now more than ever, WISH is committed to continue bringing together expert voices to create a dialogue aimed at unlocking vital health insights for the benefit of all.”

Noora Ali AlRumaihi, Manager, Public Relations, Qatar Foundation, said: “Providing platforms for dialogue, discourse, and the exchange of knowledge and perspectives is at the core of Qatar Foundation’s mission, and we are committed to continuing these platforms in online form amid the changes that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to our lives.

“This discussion will look at efforts to combat the pandemic, and how it may shape our societies into the future, through a truly global lens; and demonstrate that, no matter what challenges face our world, dialogue never stops.”

The discussion will be moderated by journalist and documentary-maker Mishal Husain, with its audience having the chance to post questions to panelists online.

Through its biennial Doha summits and year-round activities, WISH – QF’s global health initiative – brings together healthcare leaders, practitioners, and innovators in a combined effort to build a healthier world through innovation and collaboration. Central to WISH’s events are panel sessions where thought-leaders from its global community can advance the conversation about the future of healthcare, share knowledge, and unlock new insights.

Launched in 2018, the Education City Speaker Series has since become one of QF’s most popular platforms for dialogue, enabling its audience to both hear from and interact with expert speakers on the key topics shaping the world. Previous speakers have included UN leaders and climate change experts, athletes, entrepreneurs and innovators, film-makers and journalists, and His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

To watch and participate in this online edition of the Education City Speaker Series at 4 pm next Wednesday, visit
https://www.qf.org.qa/education-city-speaker-series

Source: Press release

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Binu Cherian

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