The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Alaa Alwan, explained that the most important issues to be discussed in the 78th Conference of the GCC Health Ministers Council, taking place currently in Riyadh, include health development in GCC countries, in addition to boosting health systems, measuring their performance and improving skills of health staff. He pointed out that the WHO is coordinating with the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council in these fields and others.
Within the same vein, Dr. Alwan indicated that there are challenges facing the health development in the GCC countries and the Eastern Mediterranean region, including boosting health systems and health information systems, improving skills of health staff, including physicians, nurses and health workers, and strengthening health capabilities in the fields of financing health systems and measuring their performance.
"That is to be added," he said, "to other challenges facing the GCC countries, including fighting communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as chronic disorders, such as cardiac diseases, diabetes and cancer." He reiterated that these diseases are rising alarmingly and the challenge lies in identifying factors behind such diseases.
Within the same vein, Dr. Alwan added that some health problems are on the rise, such as tobacco use, unhealthy nutritional habits and physical inactivity. "This is a part of the big challenges facing countries of the region in the fields of prevention and provision of appropriate healthcare for millions of people affected with these diseases. Dr. Alwan was concluded as saying that there is a Gulf plan to control communicable diseases that will be discussed in the conference.