Under the auspices of His Excellency the Minister of Health, and Chief Executive of the Arab Ministers Council, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Riyadh embraces the Saudi Forum “Uniting Arab Countries to Combat Aids”, in the course of five days, starting on 3/1/1433H. This was made known by Dr. Sana' Filimban, Supervisor-General of the MOH's Combating AIDS Program.
Held under the umbrella of the Arab League, this forum is the first meeting to involve representatives of the twenty two Arab countries, Dr. Filimban added, pointing out that the forum will be also attended by experts in the field of combating AIDS and implementing the National Strategy for the Prevention of HIV, in addition to representatives of non-governmental organizations and activists in the field of AIDS-fighting. The major aim of the forum is to outline the ways to develop and improve the plans of the National Strategy for the Prevention of HIV, along with reviewing the national AIDS-fighting strategic plans and policies of the Arab countries. Besides, the forum is expected to discuss the plans agreed upon in the Political Declaration of 2011, and consider the actions to be taken to activate such commitments and bring them into reality.
Dr. Filimban went on to say that the forum agenda includes reviewing the situation of AIDS-fighting in the Arab countries, the extent of conformity with the commitments and obligations of the Political Declaration of 2011, as well as taking palpable measures aiming to enforce these commitments. It is worth mentioning, in this respect, that all the UN Member States have approved the declaration of the major national priorities of combating AIDS in each country.
Dr. Sana' Filimban added, The Saudi Initiative to Combat AIDS in the GCC Countries has been recently expanded to include all the Arab countries under the umbrella of the Arab League, in addition to developing the national capacities in the field of strategic planning to limit the prevalence of HIV, pointing out that the program aims to benefit from the Arab networking opportunities, access to effective means to reduce the spread of the disease, and support for people with HIV.
The Dr. Sana' Filimban, Supervisor-General of the Ministry of Health AIDS Program, said that the forum will be accompanied by a scientific and social program on the occasion of the World AIDS Day, falling on Thursday, 6/1/1433H (1/12/2011), with the participation of a number of medical institutions, including the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Oncology Center, in addition to a range of international organizations concerned with AIDS.
The forum is projected to discuss the latest scientific knowledge related to the nature of the disease, methods of treatment, a number of cases that have been discovered during the last period, and the ways to prevent the prevalence of infection in the community, in addition to supporting AIDS patients and providing ways to engage them in the society and to preserve their rights soundly, by ensuring for them proper income, healthcare, curative services, follow-up, as well as psychological and social support.