In recognition of the pioneering role and healthcare achievements by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rabeeah, was chosen, along with six other Ministers of Health participating in the World Health Organization, to join the Ministerial Work Session during the 1st International Ministerial Conference.
Ministers of Health from China, the United States, Russia, India and South Africa participated in this session along with HE Dr. Al Rabeeah and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan.
The conference took place in Moscow, on Thursday, April 28th, and was organized by the World Health Organization with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Social Development in Russia. The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, opened the conference which discussed healthy lifestyles and non-contagious disease control (i.e. cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lung diseases and cancer.)
The combined efforts of both the public and private sectors are required to combat such diseases, which are considered the leading causes of more than 60% of all deaths worldwide. The conference will also raise awareness about the social and economic impacts of non-contagious diseases and to review international experiments for controlling and combating them. The session also seeks to provide more evidence about the need to enhance international and national initiatives to include disease prevention as an integral part of all national health plans.
The 1st International Ministerial Conference is considered a significant initiative in the international campaign for controlling cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic lung diseases. It is also a preparation for the upcoming meeting of world leaders at the United Nations in New York in September of 2011; this conference will discuss strategies for combating non-contagious diseases and for decreasing their serious impact upon the world’s economies.