Creative Innovation & Investment Shine On Day Two of Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh

• World class exhibitors showcase opportunities and challenges posed by frontier-pushing digital and practical health technologies, set to revolutionize patient care for the next decade  
• Attendees exposed to AI-enabled diagnostic solutions, which expedite disease identification and promote fast access to treatment pathways
  
• Stability, support and opportunity hallmarks of KSA's high-growth investment environment to promote sustainable health ecosystem
  

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Health Exhibition, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Health and organized by Tahaluf, continued into its second day with key sessions focussing on the breadth and depth of healthcare innovation.

Sessions included a focus on next generation pharma treatments, surgical technology, and digital health interventions. Advances in hospital technology, including emergency care, rapid stroke support and long term patient management also featured across the event's five stages and three exhibition halls.

In addition, panel discussions addressed key topics, such as the future of oncology, early detection and advanced therapies, cardiovascular disease, cyber-security in healthcare, and the evolving investment environment. 

"Early diagnosis saves lives,"  said Dr. Danuta Jeziorska, CEO & Co-Founder, Nucleome Therapeutics at the Digital Health Forum. "We are in an era of the convergence of technologies, such as AI and genomics. The future of oncology and diagnosing patients is focused on acting early – on the Stage one of Cancer – or even to prevent it.

"For example, in the UK, the survival rate for Stage one breast cancer diagnosis is almost 100%. But by Stage four, the survival rate is 25%. I'm sitting here today, because I was diagnosed very quickly."

The Leaders' Summit heard from leading health sector author Mark Brignall, who discussed the global health workforce crisis, highlighted by the World Health Organization, which reveals acute staffing shortages across state owned health systems worldwide. The crisis, if unaddressed, will make most countries' health systems unsustainable, with an estimated worldwide staff shortfall of 18 million by 2030, he explained. 

Speaking on a panel entitled "Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Safeguarding Electronic Health Records", speakers emphasized the importance of maintaining trust when managing data at societal level, so that huge benefits can be unlocked from patient data.

"If people don't trust us to look after their data safely, and to use it appropriately, they won't share it with us," said Simon Swift, CEO, Health Navigator.

"If we can't access population-wide data, there are many things we can't do, and we can't keep populations, or individuals, safe. Trust is a slippery commodity – hard to gain, very easy to lose."

Speakers also addressed the investment opportunities across the evolving medtech and pharmaceutical landscape in Saudi Arabia.

"Investors are constantly looking for growth," said Dr Leonid Shapiro, Managing Partner, Candesic at the Investor Forum. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents somewhere where there is plenty of support, stability and opportunity.

"One of the biggest ambitions of the Ministry of Health here is to create a sustainable healthcare system. It's not just about meeting current needs, but thinking about future needs.

"The population of the Kingdom is skyrocketing. Looking after that population can't be a burden placed on some companies and hospitals, instead it will be necessary to attract investors, to sell services, and to invest in physical services. That's what creates sustainability, and that's what's so exciting about investing here." added Dr Shapiro.

"As the story of Global Health Exhibition 2024 continues, the event today focused not just on exciting, boundary-pushing technology, but the crunch issues that matter to health stakeholders worldwide," said Rachel Sturgess, Group Director, Tahaluf.

"Ongoing risks around system sustainability for the long term, the continued threat of cybersecurity compromises as well as the increasing cost of care as population numbers rise are very real challenges which require creative, expert thinking to resolve. The Exhibition is acting as a vital conduit for these important discussions between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world."