His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, underscored that the Gulf States have witnessed an economic boom which contributed to accelerating the development process and changed many life styles, especially in regard to the environmental, social and economic transformations.
While honoring of winners of the Gulf excellence award in the field of health media, in its second session of the first year (2014-2015), at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Mr. Al-Khateeb said, "As a result of such changes and in light of the opening of the Gulf society to the outside world and interacting with the international cultures, new behaviors emerged and influenced the food culture and daily activity of the Gulf citizen, particularly that the change of lifestyles is connected to the change of nature of diseases which will be changed to chronic ones, requiring health care and follow-up at a very high cost.
Mr. Al-Khateeb pointed out that the honoring ceremony comes as part of basics and constants upon which the relationship among GCC countries is based, in addition to the Gulf States' sharing of the same features, systems, destiny and strategic objective, represented in well-preparing of the Gulf citizen for being the source of their pride and honor and true hope who will contribute -Allah willing- to achieving progress and prosperity and lay the bases of construction and development.
"The ceremony comes within the GCC countries' keenness to keep pace with the global medical developments, launch campaigns, adopt special programs about incorrect health education, raise people awareness about diseases and protection against them and hold the Gulf citizens responsible for their health and the health of others," Mr. Al-Khateeb said, adding that the event targets also building the Gulf citizens' normal health trends in such a manner that contributes –Allah willing- to protection against diseases and maintenance of their health, as well as reducing health costs, which impose a burden on the budgets of the health sectors in the GCC countries.
The Minister praised the award which makes the media outlets an active partner and strong ally in supporting health education and contributing to raising general awareness about the health issues as well as boosting the meaningful health message, due to their capability to double the positive effect between the individual and society, adding that, "The launching of this award will help raise the spirit of innovation and creativity among the workers in the field of health awareness and media and highlight the leading efforts and active initiatives in the field of health awareness."
Al-Khateeb extended his congratulations, in the name of the Saudi Ministry of Health "MOH", to the winners of the Gulf excellence award in health media, who have been honored in recognition of their excellence in doing their noble mission and message and in confirmation of the Ministry’s aim of upgrading the health media performance and supporting health awareness, which represents the cornerstone of the health work, at the therapeutic and preventive levels.
Concluding his speech, His Excellency the Minister of Health extended his thanks and appreciation to the Director-General of the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council and the Secretary General of the Gulf Excellence Award, Dr. Tawfiq bin Ahmad Khoja, for the Board's adoption of the award, and to Al-Mahalliyya Public Affairs for sponsoring the award.
He also congratulated the winners of the various categories of the award, including ministries, institutions and individuals, wishing them success.
On his part, the Director-General of the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council and the Secretary General of the Gulf Excellence Award, Dr. Tawfiq bin Ahmad Khoja, in his speech, said that the honoring of the winners of the Gulf Excellence Award in Health Media, which enters its second session of the first year, reflects the member states’ concern about the health awareness programs and health promotion.
"It also confirms the active role played by media in supporting its fundamentals as one of the basic elements of health care, as it truly reflects attention and priority received by the health sector in the GCC states.
On this occasion, Dr. Khoja extended great thanks and appreciation to the Minister of Health, Mr. Ahmad bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, the Vice Minister of Health for Health Affairs and Head of the Conference’s Higher Supervisory Committee, Dr. Mansour bin Naser Al-Hawasi, and the Advisor to the Minister of Health for Regions Affairs and Head of the Conference’s Organizing Committee, Dr. Ali bin Qasim Al-Qahtani, for their good and gracious efforts resulted in achieving outstanding preparation and organization of the conference.
"The total value of awards hits 100.000 dollars," he said, adding that the ceremony is launched annually at an initiative by the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council with an aim of raising the spirit of innovation and creativity among workers and those interested in the field of health awareness and health media in the GCC states and encouraging creators to contribute to protection against diseases and promotion of health by positively affecting individuals and segment of the society and urging them to adopt the right healthy behaviors.
Moreover, Dr. Khoja noted that the ceremony targets also attracting the attention of the government mass media, enhancing partnership with the private media institutions, supporting the outstanding efforts aiming at improving the health awareness programs at the GCC states, improving and upgrading the skills of workers in the field of health awareness and highlighting the leading efforts and active initiatives of individuals and institutions working in the field of health awareness in order to promote health of the Gulf citizen.
Furthermore, Dr. Khoja underlined that the awards also aim at contributing to achieving the strategic objectives of the health plans in the GCC States, prompting the Gulf calibers towards innovation and excellence in the field of health media, showing esteem for the outstanding talents and competences in the health media, and bolstering spirit of competition among workers in the health mass media, in addition to laying down a scientific basis for health media information.
He noted that all TV, radio, printed and electronic mass media institutions as well as all relevant government and private bodies and innovative persons, whether citizens or residents, can compete for the award, which serves the field of health education in the Gulf region.
Khoja added that the categories of the award include short stories for kids, health articles, health pages, printed materials (awareness posters), e-works (pages and websites) and TV and radio short messages.
It is to be noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the MOH, has won four awards in the Gulf excellence contests in the field of health media, as the MOH won the first place in the Gulf excellence contests in social communication for the Ministry's account on Twitter, the first place in electronic applications for its application: “Your Health Advisor,” which is directed to all society members, the second place in the TV message contests for a TV flash which stimulates the fight against obesity and inactivity, and the second place in the radio message competition for a message to motivate the diet and physical activity.
At the end of the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Health honored heads and members of the organizing committees, and pictures were taken with the Minister on this occasion.