Kuwait hosts 76th conference of GCC health ministers

The 76th conference of the Health Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has begun in Kuwait. Kuwait's Minister of Health, Ali Al-Obaidi, said in a keynote speech that the GCC's health accomplishments show the ability to meet challenges facing Gulf health systems, according to the state news agency, KUNA. The minister said that such challenges require continuous coordination, joint action and exchange of experience for developing clear-cut Gulf health programmes and strategies. He stressed the significance of the health sector as a main component and significant index of development programmes, a thing which the GCC seeks to reaffirm through the post-2015 UN Development Goals being finally formulated by concerned international organisations. The conference focuses on concerted action by GCC member states to combat Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases. The Minister described NCDs as key challenges facing development plans and programmes due to relevant reflections on health systems and exhaustion of resources and potential. However, he maintained that the GCC member states' health systems are efficient enough to fight NCDs in collaboration with state authorities, the private sector and civil society. The Minister cited international reports as highly commending the GCC member states' health developments such as low maternal and child mortality rates, vaccinations and high life-expectancy rates. GCC Secretary-General, Abdulateef Al-Zayani, appreciated the efforts of the GCC health ministers to improve and develop medical services in the member states and Yemen. He hailed the formation of national health committees and medical development blueprints in the GCC countries as an unequivocal sign of great efforts by the health ministries to curb NCDs. Bahraini Health Minister, Sadeq Al-Shahabi, hailed the executive bureau of the GCC Council of Health Ministers for its great health efforts that resulted in the winning of three world awards in 2013. "The receipt of such awards in just one year is a big achievement and crowns efforts exerted over the last years," he said.