Health, climate change to get special focus at Davos: WEF

World Economic Forum (WEF) today said health and environment will figure prominently in its upcoming Davos Annual Meeting, which is expected to be attended by a large Indian delegation along with top business and political leaders from across the world.
Those expected at this annual congregation of rich and powerful from across the globe at the Swiss ski resort include Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and over 100 top business leaders from India.
The meeting, scheduled in Davos for January 21-25, would also include sessions on issues ranging from mental health and personalised medicine to health systems in emerging economies, Geneva-based WEF said in a statement.

The theme of the 44th WEF Annual Meeting is 'Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business' and is expected to be attended by 2,500 participants from more than 100 countries.
"For the past few years, the critical state of the financial system absorbed much of Davos participants' attention. This year, there is a sense that the global economy is out of intensive care and embarking on rehabilitation," said Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer at the WEF.
"As we ask how metaphorically to improve the economy's health, literally improving the population's health is a good place to start," he added.

This year's Davos meet would also include an inaugural Health Summit to be attended by government heads, CEOs, academia and Nobel laureates, WEF said.

The Forum further said climate change and related issues like extreme weather events, food and water crises are among the most pressing global economic risks.
This year's Annual Meeting will have a record number of 23 sessions dedicated to climate change, resources security and sustainability. On health, there would be 25 sessions.
Besides, WEF also announced new initiatives with the UN and the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) on climate change collaboration.
"I look forward to the collaborative efforts and solutions to address the climate challenge that will emerge from the World Economic Forum 2014 in Davos," UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said.