Middle East - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) vows unified action to deal with non-communicable diseases

Citation

(2012), "Middle East - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) vows unified action to deal with non-communicable diseases", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2012.06225daa.012

Middle East - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) vows unified action to deal with non-communicable diseases

Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 25, Issue 4

Keywords: Health education program, Non-communicable disease management, Patient safety, Healthcare quality improvements

At the 37th session of the 72nd conference of the GCC Health Ministerial Council, the GCC Health Ministers Council decided to implement a joint plan to intensify health education programs and to activate the Gulf plan to combat non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the region.

“A set of decisions were taken by the GCC ministers on combating non-communicable diseases (NCD) including adoption of the GCC Supreme Council’s Resolution No. 32 of the Riyadh Summit in 2011 to serve as the main course of action in this regard,” Al-Mirghalani said, adding that the Saudi team was led by Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah.

The conference was chaired by Omani Health Minister Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Saeedi. In his opening remarks, Al-Saeedi called for concerted efforts by the GCC countries to keep the region free of health problems. He said the conference deliberations were transparent and its decisions are constructive for the good of all GCC nations.

The chairman of the last session Abdullah bin Khaled Al-Qahtani, GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani and Director General of the Executive Office of the GCC Health Ministers Council Tawfiq Khoja also addressed the gathering.

The recommendations included a comprehensive program to fight against non-communicable diseases, improved health care, patient safety, psychiatric health, eradication of measles and German measles, health leadership promotion in GCC countries, unified tenders for purchases, central drug registration, uniform pricing and expatriate workforce.

The delegates also approved the Muscat Declaration on the economies of curbing non-communicable diseases and the establishment of a national commission in each member country to undertake implementation of the diseases combating plan. The Muscat Declaration called for setting up an international referral agency for the economies of non-communicable diseases under the umbrella of the United Nations.

The conferees also decided to benefit from the sultanate’s paper on role of health committees in upgrading health services, improving health indicators and quality of life and enhancing community health programs executed by civil society in partnership with the respective states.

Al-Mirghalani also said the council decided on a unified plan to implement program to develop the health care facilities and services available in the GCC countries for mental health. The discussions also focused on the mental state of the mothers, children and adolescents and the need to counsel them to face the growing challenges in the society with confidence.

The council also agreed to strengthen immunization campaigns against measles and the inclusion of these campaigns among the programs to reduce the import of deadly virus to the GCC countries. They also decided that the GCC countries should create a public awareness among people on the importance of vaccination against rubella in their respective countries.

On the sidelines of the conference, an exhibition was held to display the efforts made by the GCC countries to combat the non-communicable diseases.

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