Researchers, politicians gather in London for Global Health Policy Summit

Medical researchers, politicians, and policymakers gathered at a Global Health Policy Summit in London Wednesday "to champion innovative solutions to the world's major health problems," Imperial College London reports in an article, which notes the summit, "the first event of its kind, is the result of a partnership between Imperial College London and the Qatar Foundation for education, science and community development" and "will tackle maternal health, primary care, non-infectious diseases and aging societies" (8/1). "This is a unique summit. We're gathering the global thought leaders, very much to exchange ideas, to learn from each other, when it comes to innovative solutions to the significantly great challenges facing health care systems globally," summit chair Ara Darzi of the Institute for Global Health Innovation tells BBC Radio correspondent Claudia Hammond in a "Health Check" audio report (8/1).

"Participants at the summit discussed critical issues by drawing on a new set of policy discussion documents that have been developed by leading experts in international working groups," the Gulf Times notes, adding, "In these papers, specialists analyzed international success stories, identified innovations with the potential to make a difference and derived practical lessons for health leaders." According to the newspaper, "British Prime Minister David Cameron, who addressed the delegates at the closing session, hailed the 'significant gathering of global clinicians, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs'" (8/1). In his closing address, Cameron announced "[t]he laboratories working to spot Olympic drugs cheats will be used to create a cutting-edge scientific research center once the Games are over," the U.K. Press Association reports (8/1).