The GCC Ministers of Health shall hold their 63rd meeting in Geneva on 29/04/1428H, being 16/05/2007, within the side talks of the meetings of the General Assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva scheduled to be held during this month, said Dr. Tawfiq Ahmed Khojah, the Director General of the Executive Office of the GCC Ministers of Health. He said the meeting shall approve a number of issues which has been discussed by the late 62nd meeting which was held in Riyadh during the period from 2 to 4 April, 2007.
Dr. Khojah said the meeting shall discuss the integrated executive strategic plan for combating diabetes, which has been derived from the revised GCC plan. A special consideration shall be made in this regard to the current status, the extent of realization of the goals of the GCC program for combating diabetes, the means and techniques for designing a unified GCC study about the epidemiology and economics of diabetes, and the joint announcement of the GCC Ministers of Health on diabetes. He said the meeting's agenda also includes other issues such as the quality of health care, the safety of patients, evaluation of the status quo, and the extent of execution of approved strategies and plans.
Other topics on the agenda, according to Dr. Khojah, include the initiative of "Friendly Health Facilities for Patients' Safety", primary health care, vocational safety and health, the GCC international health survey, a malaria free Arabic peninsula, central registration of drugs, pharmaceutical care, and unified purchasing of medical equipment.
He said the meeting shall also look into the extent to which the decisions and recommendations of the 62nd meeting in Kuwait have been implemented. Coordination shall also be made regarding the topics enlisted in the agenda of WHO General Assembly meetings.