بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Your Excellencies
Dr Tedros, Director General of the WHO
Dr Hanan Balky, Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Region,
Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
It is with immense pleasure and honour that Qatar is hosting this significant event, the Seventy-First session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean and we are confident that it will be a successful and fruitful meeting.
The theme of this session, “Health Beyond Borders: Action, Access, Equity,” is of exceptional relevance to our region, where conflicts, natural disasters, epidemics, and political unrest have deteriorated healthcare services in several countries.
This situation calls for responsibility, solidarity, and fairness to improve the lives of all people.
We have learned from epidemics and pandemics, especially COVID-19, the importance of solidarity in achieving “Health Beyond Borders”. Strengthening health systems and services within our national borders, although essential, may not be enough, as health protection requires global efforts and a pivotal role of the World Health Organization.
Indeed, over the last few years member states have seen the importance of strengthening WHO and have adopted resolutions such as increasing assessed contributions to empower WHO to deliver the recently approved GPW14.
Your Excellencies,
Qatar strongly believes that investing in global health and in
WHO is an investment in global stability, security and health.
Recognising its humanitarian and international responsibilities, and in implementation of the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the State of Qatar attaches great importance to international cooperation and is committed to supporting programs and initiatives that promote health and well-being in our region and the world. Our country also provides development support to the countries most in need, especially for sustainable development projects in health and education.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we approach the final stages of achieving our Qatar National Vision 2030, we launched in September our third National Health Strategy (2024-2030) aimed at improving population health and wellbeing, health system efficiency and resilience, and excellence in service delivery and patient experience. The strategy also supports our national efforts to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
As part of our vision, Qatar is keen to consolidate and enhance fruitful partnerships with international organizations.
Our collaboration with WHO is an inspiring model for us.
Qatar was one of the first countries in the world to respond to WHO’s call for core voluntary contribution in 2021 in order to support the response to the Covid pandemic and other emergencies.
The “Sport for Health” partnership between Qatar, WHO, and FIFA signed in 2021 created and implemented a model for integrating health and wellbeing into sports events.
We were pleased with the adoption at the 77th World Health Assembly of a resolution on strengthening health and wellbeing through sporting events inspired by this partnership. Tomorrow, Insha Allah, we will launch the joint report between Qatar and WHO on sports and health.
The collaboration with WHO extended to a number of other areas.
For example, we are proud that Qatar has become the first country in the world to have all its municipalities awarded the title of “Healthy City” by WHO.
To promote this model regionally, Qatar, in partnership with WHO, hosted the Eastern Mediterranean Region Healthy Cities Conference in 2023. The conference culminated in the issuance of the “Doha Statement on Healthy Cities” to sustain health and wellbeing in urban areas, fully supported by the Regional Network of Healthy Cities.
Next month the 7th World Innovation Summit for Health, an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, organized in collaboration with the WHO, will address some of the most pressing global health challenges from the elimination of tuberculosis, to the growing importance of palliative care, and the protection of health in armed conflicts.
Next year in April we will have the pleasure of hosting the WHO Mental Health Summit. 1 out of 8 people live with a mental health condition and the expected increase over the coming decades is of tremendous importance for the sustainability of the health system worldwide.
Honourable guests,
The humanitarian tragedy inflicted on the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, by the ongoing Israeli aggression claiming the lives of thousands of children, women, and the elderly, with no regard to health facilities and health workers, calls for intensified efforts to end such tragic and senseless war in Palestine and Lebanon.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have significant work ahead of us in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to address health challenges. The region continues to face large-scale emergencies. Until last June, conflicts and crises had left more than 107 million people in desperate need of assistance while health care facilities and workers continue to be under attack.
Polio remains a public health emergency of international
concern still affecting children in a few countries.
Dr Hanan Balkhy, our Regional Director, is presenting a new strategic operational plan (2025-2028) and 3 new flagship programs. These programs are essential to achieve health for all and need our support.
Let us work in solidarity to address the challenges of our region and worldwide for better health for all.
نسأل الله التوفيق والسداد
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
