Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali, UAE Minister of Health, emphasized that the UAE is keen on continuing its cooperation with the GCC member states to face health challenges, noting that the strategy of his ministry is based on the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership and federal government to achieve exquisite health services and increase local, regional and international societal partnerships to achieve the best health and medical practices.
This was stated by the minister after the opening of the 70th meeting of the GCC ministers of health that began today in Doha, Qatar.
Dr. Hanif said: “The UAE was honored to chair last year’s meetings and reassures its cooperation with the GCC member states to face health challenges. We also thank all the member states for their efforts in providing healthy lives for the residents hoping that the meeting would achieve its goals and objectives to fight diseases and enhance joint cooperation for all GCC societies”.
He said: “The reports of the Director General of Executive Board of the GCC Ministers of Health Council about the joint programs that succeeded in achieving the desired goals through continuous efforts and fruitful cooperation between all the member states. We are now on the threshold of a new era to continue joint cooperation between the GCC countries as well as regional and international organizations such as: WHO and UNICEF to fulfill our duties towards achieving the requirements and needs of the member states health services”.
He also added that :”We are called to fight infectious diseases and other remitted drugs; we also call the member states to increase their efforts in fighting chronic diseases through establishing strategies that would reduce proliferation and secure foundation for high risk groups.
Dr. Hanif mentioned that the GCC countries have challenges of facing diabetes and heart diseases that require them to enhance the role of primary healthcare in fighting chronic diseases, develop human resources and invest national human resources. The members are also urged to give greater concern to psychiatric and mental diseases as well as environmental health to develop the genetic engineering capabilities and abide by ethical standards that would reflect human beings positively.
“We are interested in providing the required medicines in light of the impact of WTO and WIPO organizations over the future of the pharmaceutical industry”, he ended.
It is noted that the previous round achieved several accomplishments and ambitions such as the nomination of the executive board of the GCC health council to the “Quality and Technology Assurance European International Award” and the Dubai Declaration about Diabetes, chronic non-communicable diseases and the organization of the MENA Diabetes Forum that was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.
The agenda also included technical, financial and organizational topics such as the report of the director general of the executive board of the GCC health ministers’ council about the accomplishments and activities of the council during the previous 35th round that was headed by the United Arab Emirates.
According to the report of the director general, the numbers of diabetes patients reached at the end of 2010 about 300 million people worldwide representing 6.6% of the populations’ projection.
The estimated number of patients is expected to increase by the year 2030 to 138 million representing 7.8% which means an increase in the number of patients in the world with more than 54% over the last 20 years to come. The Gulf region is not far from the increasing number of the diseases as it expected to increase by the year 2030 as well.
The UAE minister of health stated that the UAE’s Ministry of Health gives great interest to diabetes and strives to increase its activities with the strategic partners to decrease the numbers of diseases, raise the awareness of the community members to implement its new strategy in fighting diseases and avoiding its dissemination in coordination with regional and international organizations.
He also referred that the ministry of health looks forward to the results of the diabetes rates based on the cooperation agreement that was signed May 2010 between the College of Medicine and Health Sciences in Sharjah University to implement a national field study about the evaluation of diabetes rates and its dangers including obesity, unhealthy food and less physical activities. The study is implemented with the ministry’s local strategic partner and Baker Diabetes Institute in Australia.
Last year, the executive board of the GCC ministers of health announced Jeddah Declaration to provide care for diabetes patients and signed a cooperation pact with the public health institute in Alexandria University during the 68th GCC ministers of health meeting that was held between 2-3 February 2010 in Abu Dhabi.
According to this memorandum, the two parties agreed to increase their efforts in the field of training and health research and training UAE nationals on increasing their skills on the strategies and policies of protection against health problems.
The GCC ministers of health also reviewed the Third Middle East Healthcare Conference on March 2010 and Anti Tobacco Conference on May 2010 which both took place in Dubai.
WAM