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Edinburgh Reporter
11 hours ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Inaugural Edinburgh Prize presented to the World Health Organisation
At the official opening of the Usher Building in Edinburgh Bioquarter on Thursday the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accepted the first Edinburgh Prize for Global Health Impact on behalf of the organisation. The prize recognises the organisation's programme during the last half century to provide life-saving vaccines for children all over the world. The Director General was emphatic in his view of the programme's impact. He said: 'Since 1974, 154 million lives were saved. So vaccine works, vaccine helps children survive. And that is actually what this prize from the University of Edinburgh is saying and the WHO has contributed significantly to this.' Dr Tedros officially opened the £50 million plus building constructed with funding from The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal – the £1.5 billion deal funded by both the UK and the Scottish Governments and which involves six local authorities in the area. Funding also came from The Wolfson Foundation. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus of @ officially opens the £50 million + Usher Building in Edinburgh today — The Edinburgh Reporter (@ 2025-06-26T11:59:30.076Z This building is part of the Data-Driven Innovation part of the City Region Deal and is one of six hubs supported by the initiative. The building is a co-location hub where more than 900 researchers and scientists will work alongside health and social care providers and industry leaders to use data to provide healthcare solutions. Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh said that with his background as a medical doctor he does have some understanding of the work to be carried out in the Usher Building. He said: 'I'm no longer an active researcher, but the ethos of the building is very multidisciplinary. It's the product of a collaboration between the two governments in Westminster and Holyrood in terms of funding, and also the Wolfson Foundation, which is also a very important contributor. But the work itself is very collaborative and across disciplines, across areas and subjects, and also across nations. Sir Peter explained that what the research will provide is facts and data. He cited the example of NHS waiting lists which were 'already under strain prior to the pandemic'. He said: 'it's not as if the pandemic caused all the problems, but what the pandemic did is it brought the problems of the pandemic, but it also put everything else into second place, if you like. So there was then a backlog built up, and we now have this extraordinary number of people on NHS waiting lists in Scotland and in the rest of the UK, with the NHS struggling to keep up. So researchers here will are providing facts and that is really useful for governments to understand where the priorities are. Good policy is formed from good data and good data is formed from multidisciplinary collaborations.' The Rt Hon Ian Murray explained that he is an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh and that it was especially good to be at the opening of the new building. He explained that the UK Government involvement in the City Region Deal had contributed significantly towards the building with a contribution of £48.5 million. He said: 'The real reason for that kind of contribution was to provide buildings like this that can innovate, provide us with the research and development of the future, to bring financiers, partners, institutions, organisations, businesses and researchers all together to collaborate under one roof, to give us that healthcare of the future.' WHO funding Asked about the ongoing challenged of funding the WHO, (In May the WHO reduced its management team and scaled back its operations after the United States announced it was leaving the agency and cutting its financial support leading to a 21% cut in the organisation's budget), Dr Tedros said that they had 'seen it coming' in 2017 when they started the transformation of the WHO. He said: 'The major risk we identified was reliance on a few traditional donors – because if any one of them reduces their funding, the same situation could happen, and the organisation cannot absorb it. 'Not only that, when you rely on only a few traditional donors that also can affect your independence. So at that time, we said we have to broaden our donor base, and that can help us get flexible funding, long term funding. At the same time, it will make WHO more independent, because we rely on almost all 194 countries. 'Our funding started to be broadened out, and it's helping us to minimise the pain due to the current crisis. The contribution that was provided during the last two to three years is helping us to save jobs. We are seeing this as an opportunity. It's a crisis but as an opportunity we will emerge better.' In this imposing building looking down on the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh there is pioneering work taking place with researchers leveraging artificial intelligence to improve surgical outcomes and scientists exploring diagnostic potential through routine retina imaging. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus L-R The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP Secretary of State for Scotland, Maree Todd MSP. Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport and WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who officially opened the Usher Building Some of the 900 academics and researchers who work in the building at the official launch The Rt Hon Ian Murray Secretary of State for Scotland Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh speaking to members of the Usher family on the left of the photo Like this: Like Related
STV News
a day ago
- Health
- STV News
World Health Organisation chief to attend opening of Edinburgh research hub
The director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be among the guests attending the opening of a state-of-the-art research hub hailed as a 'major step forward' in improving health and social care. The new Usher Building, in the Edinburgh BioQuarter, houses more than 900 researchers, health and care providers and industry leaders, all harnessing the power of data to address some of the country's most pressing health challenges. These include an ageing population, widening health inequalities and childhood wellbeing – all against a backdrop of increasing pressure on services. WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will be joined at the opening by Scotland Secretary Ian Murray and Secretary for Drug and Alcohol Policy Maree Todd, alongside University of Edinburgh staff and students. During the event Dr Tedros will be given the university's inaugural Edinburgh Prize for Global Health Impact, in recognition of the WHO's work to make life-saving vaccinations accessible to children across the world. Speaking ahead of the event Dr Tedros said: 'For hundreds of years, the University of Edinburgh has been a revered centre of learning and research. 'With the Usher Building's opening, the university is future-proofing that proud heritage by embracing the latest medical innovations, artificial intelligence and data analysis to contribute to making a healthier world.' PA Media The WHO director-general said the new facility would 'future-proof' the university's research heritage (Niall Carson/PA). The building came into use last year, and a number of 'pioneering' projects are already taking place within its walls. These include the DataLoch initiative, which brings together anonymised data from everyday use of health and social services, which researchers can use to investigate issues ranging from service improvement to health inequalities. DataLoch also supports researchers in accessing health and care data linked to other datasets, to build a clearer picture of the links between health and social factors. One such study, Health Homes, Healthy Kids, is combining data from prepayment smart meters and health records to explore, for the first time, the links between underheated homes and children's health. Meanwhile, genetic studies of populations in Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides are yielding valuable insights into cancer genetics, while health data experts track population trends to enhance prevention, diagnosis and care delivery. Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The opening of the Usher Building is a major step forward for the University of Edinburgh – and wider society – in reimagining how we improve health and social care. 'By bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry experts, we have created a dynamic hub that will drive innovation for the benefit of all. 'It is inspiring to shine a light on the outstanding work under way here and, together with the United Nations and many other key partners, we remain committed to advancing these critical efforts to improve lives.' PA Media Secretary for Drug and Alcohol Policy Maree Todd said the new facility marks a 'significant step forward in health innovation' (Andrew Milligan/PA). The university received £49.2m capital funding for the building through the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal, with £48.5m from the UK Government and £0.7m from the Scottish Government. It is one of six 'innovation hubs' to receive funding under the deal, and joins a growing health innovation ecosystem in Edinburgh. Mr Murray said: 'I am very much looking forward to attending the opening of this fantastic state-of-the-art facility alongside so many eminent guests from the health and social care sectors. 'Backed by £48.5 million of UK Government funding, the Usher Institute provides an inspiring environment where academics, healthcare professionals and industry partners can collaborate on pioneering research and development to tackle challenges faced by our communities and improve wellbeing. 'This is our Plan for Change in action, working with partners to deliver economic growth and a decade of national renewal.' Maree Todd said the opening marks a 'significant step forward in health innovation'. She said: 'The innovations by the Usher Institute will help renew the NHS in Scotland, and, as a WHO Collaborating Centre, transform healthcare around the globe. 'This development will drive growth across the region, which is why the Scottish Government is proud to support it through our Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal investment.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
a day ago
- Health
- Scotsman
State-of-the-art research hub hailed as a 'major step forward' in improving health and social care
Pioneering work taking place within the Usher Building includes researchers leveraging artificial intelligence to improve surgical outcomes | contributed The new Usher Building houses more than 900 researchers, health and care providers and industry leaders Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be among the guests attending the opening of a state-of-the-art research hub hailed as a 'major step forward' in improving health and social care. The new Usher Building, in the Edinburgh BioQuarter, houses more than 900 researchers, health and care providers and industry leaders, all harnessing the power of data to address some of the country's most pressing health challenges. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These include an ageing population, widening health inequalities and childhood wellbeing – all against a backdrop of increasing pressure on services. WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will be joined at the opening by Scotland Secretary Ian Murray and Secretary for Drug and Alcohol Policy Maree Todd, alongside University of Edinburgh staff and students. During the event Dr Tedros will be given the university's inaugural Edinburgh Prize for Global Health Impact, in recognition of the WHO's work to make life-saving vaccinations accessible to children across the world. Speaking ahead of the event Dr Tedros said: 'For hundreds of years, the University of Edinburgh has been a revered centre of learning and research. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'With the Usher Building's opening, the university is future-proofing that proud heritage by embracing the latest medical innovations, artificial intelligence and data analysis to contribute to making a healthier world.' The building came into use last year, and a number of 'pioneering' projects are already taking place within its walls. These include the DataLoch initiative, which brings together anonymised data from everyday use of health and social services, which researchers can use to investigate issues ranging from service improvement to health inequalities. DataLoch also supports researchers in accessing health and care data linked to other datasets, to build a clearer picture of the links between health and social factors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One such study, Health Homes, Healthy Kids, is combining data from prepayment smart meters and health records to explore, for the first time, the links between underheated homes and children's health. Meanwhile, genetic studies of populations in Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides are yielding valuable insights into cancer genetics, while health data experts track population trends to enhance prevention, diagnosis and care delivery. Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The opening of the Usher Building is a major step forward for the University of Edinburgh – and wider society – in reimagining how we improve health and social care. 'By bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry experts, we have created a dynamic hub that will drive innovation for the benefit of all. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is inspiring to shine a light on the outstanding work under way here and, together with the United Nations and many other key partners, we remain committed to advancing these critical efforts to improve lives.' The university received £49.2m capital funding for the building through the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal, with £48.5m from the UK Government and £0.7m from the Scottish Government. It is one of six 'innovation hubs' to receive funding under the deal, and joins a growing health innovation ecosystem in Edinburgh. Mr Murray said: 'I am very much looking forward to attending the opening of this fantastic state-of-the-art facility alongside so many eminent guests from the health and social care sectors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Backed by £48.5 million of UK Government funding, the Usher Institute provides an inspiring environment where academics, healthcare professionals and industry partners can collaborate on pioneering research and development to tackle challenges faced by our communities and improve wellbeing. 'This is our Plan for Change in action, working with partners to deliver economic growth and a decade of national renewal.' Maree Todd said the opening marks a 'significant step forward in health innovation'. She said: 'The innovations by the Usher Institute will help renew the NHS in Scotland, and, as a WHO Collaborating Centre, transform healthcare around the globe.
