His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Health for Health Affairs, Dr. Mansour bin Nasser al-Howasi, has commended the gracious patronage and colossal support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, May Allah protect him, for the Global Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Diseases in the Arab World and Middle East. The conference will be organized by the Ministry of Health (MOH), from 10 to 12 September, at Prince Sultan Grand Hall – Al-Faisaliah Hotel. “The patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for this conference evidently reflects the keen interest shown by the Wise Leadership to citizens' health and well-being,” he said.
“His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, has given his orders to prepare for the conference as best as possible, in order for the conference to come out honorably, in a way that reflects the Kingdom's broad expertise in the organization of conferences,” said Dr. al-Howasi in a press statement.
According to Dr. al-Howasi, the conference will be attended by 62 specialized experts, coming along from local, regional and international bodies and authorities, in addition to fourteen Arab ministers of health. The conference will be held in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), and will be attended, also, by the delegations of the ministries of health, the ministries of foreign affairs, the ministries of planning of the member-states the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and the Arab League, as well as representatives of the UN programs, agencies and funds. In addition, it is expected that many international financial institutions, development banks and international organizations, aside from specialized experts from all over the world, will participate in the conference.
Dr. al-Howasi pointed out that crucial among the objectives appointed for the conference were: raising the political awareness of the roles and responsibilities to be assumed by governments in combating non-communicable diseases, which are on the rise, and reducing their hazardous effects on the public health, as well as accentuating social and economic development in the Arab World and Middle East, putting forward the necessary regional strategies for the fulfillment of the political commitment. The conference is hoped, also, to serve as an international and regional forum reiterating that the governments' objective can only be attained when health is reckoned by all sectors as an indispensable constituent element in all policies, and taking this criterion into account when choosing officials, leaders, and decision makers.
Concluding his statement, Dr. al-Howasi emphasized that the Ministry of Health looks upon non-communicable diseases as one of its top priorities. This is evidently reflected in the various programs launched by the Ministry in its quest to overcome such diseases and early detect them; most notably the Diabetes Control Program, the Cancer Control Program, the Health Crown Preventive Program, the Anit-smoking Program, the Asthma Control Program, the Nutritional Balance and Physical Activity Program, and the Cardiovascular Diseases Program.