As part of the programs of the Saudi Secretariat for the G20, a virtual global summit for digital health will be held in Riyadh for two consecutive days, starting Tuesday, with the aim to adopt new technological solutions, improve quality and accessibility and reduce costs to counter the negative effects of COVID-19.
The summit will bring together leaders of healthcare systems, public health, digital health, academic institutions, and businesses to discuss the vital role of digital health in the fight against current and future pandemics.
Organized by the Ministry of National Guard’s Health Affairs Department and G20 Saudi Secretariat, in collaboration with the Saudi Center for International Strategic Partnerships, the global digital summit is part of International Conferences Program in G20 Saudi Secretariat honoring Saudi Arabia’s presidency year. It follows the G20 Extraordinary Summit held on March 26, during which G20 member countries expressed their commitment to providing a united front to combatting COVID-19.
“The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated appreciation for technological solutions, so healthcare professionals must now seize this opportunity to build on previous strides forward in digital health and advocate for accelerated digitalization as a core part of countries’ recovery plans,” said Dr. Bandar Alknawy, CEO Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs and Summit president.
He added that the Riyadh Global Digital Health Summit was “more than just a health care conference, but an international digital platform that brings together a group of global competencies capable of cooperating in order to accelerate the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pave the way towards forming a united front for crisis management and building capabilities for a future able to withstand developments.”
The topics, which will be discussed during the summit include among others the digitization of public health, AI and the automation of robotic processes, communication technology, and public health crisis solutions.
