The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the 64th conference of the GCC Council of Health Ministers, which will be convened at the Conferences Palace Hotel, Riyadh on 27/28/01/1429H, being 5/6/01/2007. The MOH Health Directorate consultant and head of the conference's High Supervisory Committee Dr. Ridha Khalil said the Minister of Health Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mane has issued a Ministerial decree ordering formation of the conference's organizing committees. The duties and responsibilities of each member of the different committees have been assigned.
He said the conference will be held under the motto "Heart First", notifying that the Executive Office of the GCC Council of Health Ministers has prepared a draft project for a "Gulf Charter of Heart Health", in the same pattern of the "European Charter", which has be launched in May 2007.
According to Dr. Khalil, the Gulf Charter aims at reaching a significant reduction in the rates of cardiovascular diseases, including heart diseases, brain attacks, and other angiosclerotic diseases.
He said the charter will concentrate also on the role of the risk factors at both social and personal levels, the major characteristics of heart diseases, and the way of controlling risk factors by decision makers and health professionals.
Dr. Khalil expressed his hopes that the conference will contribute to establishment of an alliance for heart diseases for the purpose of obtaining required political support.