The global health event titled "The Power of Innovation in a Post-COVID-19 World", was organised by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Katara, on Monday, on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, attended to the same. The Deputy PM renewed Qatar's welcome to the world to attend the activities of the World Cup, in his speech during the event, FIFA being one of the largest global sporting events, and one of the first events held in the post-COVID-19 era. He pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the world.
The Foreign Affairs minister said, "The world learned many lessons from this pandemic, and most importantly, the importance of teamwork and shared responsibility to eliminate the effects of this crisis, as well as the importance of investing in innovative healthcare practices to address unprecedented healthcare crises." Sheikh Mohammed pointed out that Qatar has followed a balanced approach since the beginning of the spread of the pandemic and has placed the protection of people and society at the top of its priorities. "Qatar has continued its role in supporting international efforts to stop the pandemic by providing logistical and material support to the affected countries and to the World Health Organization," His Excellency said.
The Deputy PM considered the event an occasion to listen to the individuals who have been pioneers in the global efforts to combat this crisis, and for the innovators to show that with every challenge there is an opportunity for innovation, support for progress and teamwork. He also considered that Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which is taking place at a time when the world is divided, reminds that all countries of the world are interdependent, and thus it is everyone responsibility to work together to improve global health.
His Excellency expressed his hope that this event would highlight the shared responsibility and teamwork in all global efforts, in addition to the importance of innovation, concluding his speech. The event brought together health leaders, experts and innovators, global performers and singers, and well-known football players on stage. It aimed to highlight the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, to celebrate the scale and speed of scientific innovation over the past two years, and to gather an audience from several fields such as: medicine, education, government, academia, media, sports, and those interested in global health.
The event discussed a variety of innovations that help accelerate progress in the field of global health and achieve the global sustainable goals, it also sheds light on the unsung heroes in the field of health, who worked to confront the pandemic, as well as discussing the importance of investing in health innovation, as it makes the world better prepared for health emergencies.
