Kuwait Min. leaves Egypt after WHO regional meeting

Kuwaiti Minister of Health Dr. Ali Al-Obaidi and his entourage left here on Wednesday for home after taking part in the 59th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. Speaking to KUNA before his departure, Dr. Al-Obaidi spoke highly of the atmospheres of the gathering which led to "fruitful and constructive results." He called on the 22 member states of WHO regional committee to enforce the recommendations of the session which serves their interests and contribute to realization of the WHO targets. The gathering provided a chance for all participating ministers of health to share views effectively on all items of the agenda of the session, Dr. Al-Obaidi pointed out. He spoke highly of the participants for electing him unanimously deputy chairman of the current session of the WHO regional committee, noting that Sudanese Minister of Health Bahr Idris Abu-Garda was elected president of the session. "One of the actively debated topics was the Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of the Non-Communicable Diseases; several participants presented papers on the progress made by their respective countries in this regard," he revealed. "The conferees also discussed the issue of the national capabilities to enforce the health statutes; they agreed to give the member states of the regional committee two-year grace period to work on the statutes," the minister went on. He noted that the Kuwaiti delegation presented a report setting forth the progress made in this regard, notably the launching of a national committee to verify the enforcement of the statutes. "We have also offered the State of Kuwait Award for Fighting Cancer, Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetes - 2012 which was given to Dr. Mohammed Mohsen Ibrahim. "This year's session witnessed the declaration of the award of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for achievements in the researches relating to care for the elderly," he added.