His Excellency the Kuwaiti Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Al-Obeidi, has affirmed that the GCC countries consider addressing the non-communicable chronic diseases as a developmental top priority for them. It was included among the plans of these countries to reduce the injury with them. And the state of Kuwait, in line with this orientation, has taken them as a developmental priority, included within the developmental plan of the state by virtue of decision no. (9/2010).
Dr. Al-Obeidi lauded the efforts of the Global Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Diseases in the Arab World and Middle East, organized by the Saudi Ministry of Health, under the theme: “Healthy lifestyles and combating non-communicable diseases in the Arab World”. The conference focused on the importance of addressing the non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and the chronic diseases of respiratory tract; and the risk factors related to them such as smoking, malnutrition, obesity and the lack of physical activity.
As far as the participation of Kuwait at the conference is concerned, he pointed out that attending such a conference has a great importance in terms of benefitting from its resolutions and recommendations. And this aims to set a final vision for the national plan to address the non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, and to set an approach and ways to measure the progress achieved towards realizing the desired objectives.
Dr. Al-Obeidi stated that the GCC countries are interested in following up the implementation of the Political Declaration of the Meeting of the General Assembly's High-level Panel on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, adopted by the presidents and representatives of countries on September 19, 2011. He also highlighted the interest of the health ministers of the GCC and Arab States in attending a lot of the WHO's meetings; the most important of which is the General Assembly of the Organization in Geneva, in addition to participating in the advisory regional and GCC meetings.