People around the world want to remain healthy into old age, says Hevolution's CEO
RIYADH: People around the world want to remain healthy and independent into old age, according to the chief executive of Saudi Arabia's Hevolution Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to extending healthy human lifespan.
'We at Hevolution do not like to use the word longevity,' said Mehmood Khan, CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, during the opening session of the organization's Global Healthspan Summit in Riyadh on Tuesday, which has Arab News as a media partner.
'Most people that we serve around the world actually don't want to live longer just for the sake of living longer. They want to be independent; they want to be functional mentally and physically,' Khan added.
The summit is back for its second edition in Riyadh, with health professionals, decision-makers, and investors gathering until Feb. 5.
Most people that we serve around the world actually don't want to live longer just for the sake of living longer. They want to be indepen-dent; they want to be functional mentally and physically.
Mehmood Khan, Hevolution Foundation CEO
The two-day conference aims to focus on issues surrounding diseases resulting from aging, their impact on society, economics, and overall health. At the same time the event is negotiating investment opportunities to improve the quality of health in the Kingdom and worldwide.
Khan added: 'I have to acknowledge Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose vision has led to the creation of Hevolution today.
'His unwavering support, I can tell you, as recently as four or five days ago, he wanted to know if everything was on track.'
The CEO further touched on some of the keys for improving healthy human lifespan, including scientific research and the quality of healthcare.
He said: 'This is no longer a discussion for a few experts and patients, and I like to use the word consumers because we are in the business of maintaining them as consumers and not becoming patients.'
Touching on the networking opportunities presented by the summit, Khan added: 'You are all here in this unique gathering, which is unprecedented anywhere else in the world. This is your opportunity, and your opportunity is to communicate, to figure out how to collaborate, how to convene in smaller groups and subgroups, and to push the boundaries of science.
'For the entrepreneurs in this room, there is no other business in the world that is going to affect every single human in 8 billion people.
'You have the chance to create businesses that will not only give you financial opportunity, given the scale, but will touch the life of every single human being.'
He concluded his speech by noting the concept of 'sadaqah jariyah,' an Islamic belief of doing good not only for now but for the long term.
Khan added: 'If we do this today, the benefit of this, and the value of this, will not only be seen in our generation but for generations to come. That is a fundamental belief not only for Islam but probably for most faiths.'
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