Doha: The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Public Health, participates in World Health Day April 7, held under the theme ‘Health for All’.
According to the World Health Organization, Health For All envisions that all people have good health for a fulfilling life in a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
This year’s celebration comes in light of the many achievements and challenges achieved by the health sector in Qatar thanks to the great support and attention given by the state under the leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to the health sector.
Minister of Public Health, H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari highlighted Qatar’s commitment to health for all, stating that the health sector has made great progress in recent years to protect and support the health and wellbeing of Qatar’s population.
“The State of Qatar places great importance on the vision of health for all. We understand that the health and wellbeing of Qatar’s population relies not only on ensuring easy access to high-quality medical services for all citizens and residents, but also on ensuring our population lives in an environment conducive to good health and have the knowledge and tools to support their own health,” said the Minister.
The Minister said Qatar’s achievement of World Health Organization “Healthy City” status for all eight municipalities - the first country in the world to achieve this status for all its municipalities - in addition to similar awards for Qatar University and Education City, highlights Qatar’s Health in All Policies approach.
The WHO Healthy City program aims to improve the health of populations by promoting health and well-being, improving equity, enabling communities and preventing the main causes of ill health through incorporating health in all policies and enhancing cooperation and partnership across sectors and society.
The Minister also identified several key health indicators for which Qatar excels, explaining that Qatar’s approach to health for all is delivering measurable improvements on the population’s health.
“Since 2014, Qatar has seen a continual fall in infant mortality rates, while the life expectancy of our population has risen and is above the GCC average. Additionally, Qatar ranks highly in its Universal Health Coverage Index, a global indicator assessing how countries provide access to quality health services, promote the well-being of families and communities, and protect against public health crises.”
Qatar has supported many countries in the region and globally through its charity works to promote health for all across the world. This has included providing medical support in Pakistan for its flood emergency; in Turkiye and Syria in the wake of the recent earthquake; in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to perform general surgery and cardiac catheterization operations for children; and pledging $20m in support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immuniation “GAVI”.
