The Kuwaiti Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Saad Al-Obaidi, said, "It is my pleasure to see their Excellency the Gulf Health Ministers meeting in the 78th Conference of the GCC Health Ministers Council in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 4th-5th February 2015, to continue the march of the joint Gulf health action aiming to achieve health for everyone and to deal with the challenges facing the health systems in the sisterly GCC states."
He added that the march of the GCC Health Ministers Council is reckoned as a good example of coordination, consultation and cooperation among the Council states to work for achieving the developmental and health goals. "In fact, the Council's achievements in all fields make us feel proud, most notably the unified Gulf procurement, health awareness, health promotion, fighting epidemics, health emergencies and confronting risk factors of chronic and non-communicable diseases, through strategies and action plans developed by specialized Gulf cadres who are the source of our pride," Dr. Al-Obaidi said.
In the same vein, Dr. Al-Obaidi highlighted that the GCC states' concern about prevention and confrontation of the chronic and non-communicable diseases and related risk factors was crowned by issuance of the Kuwait Document on dealing with such kinds of diseases as a development priority.
"The Document, which was issued during a health ministers' conference in Kuwait in January 2014, reflected the high-level political commitment to prevention and confrontation of the chronic and non-communicable diseases and putting them on the top priorities of the developmental plans and programs in the member states," he said.
He said the GCC Health Ministers Conference to be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 4th-5th February 2015 will provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and views on what have already been achieved on the ground in the GCC states, expressing his hope to see the Conference coming up with decisions that meet the expectations of our brotherly peoples, achieve health security and strengthen the health systems in the GCC states, as well as enhancing their capabilities to confront the various challenges facing the health systems on their territories and to complete the Gulf health march seeking to achieve more successes as shown by the scientific indicators of achievements.
Dr. Al-Obaidi said, "What makes me feel proud is that the holding of the 78th conference coincides with an evaluation of what have already been done to achieve the 3rd millennium development goals, whereas our countries have achieve our peoples' expectations of reducing maternal and child mortality rates, fighting epidemic and communicable diseases, notably AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and other health-related millennium development goals. Such achievement bodes well for moving forward to start applying the global development goals beyond 2015 and achieve comprehensive health coverage and the overall concept and multiple dimensions of health, which are not only confined to absence of diseases and disabilities."
He said, "I, as a Gulf citizen before being a minister of health in the State of Kuwait, feel proud of the health action march in the Gulf states, which reflects the profound and conscious vision of their Excellency and Highness leaders, kings and princes of the GCC states, who provide support for the health projects and programs in recognition of the health sector's role in achieving comprehensive and sustainable development."
"On this occasion, I would like to thank my brother His Excellency the Minister of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and praise the efforts of my colleagues, the other health ministers, and also thank the Director-General of the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council and members of the Board on the tangible efforts they exerted to prepare for the conference and meetings and their follow-up of the issued decisions and recommendations, praying for Allah to crown our efforts with success in order to achieve what our peoples anticipate and deserve," Dr. Al-Obaidi concluded.