QNA/Doha

The second meeting of the GCC health ministers’ committee began yesterday in Doha under the chairmanship of HE the Minister of Public Health Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani.
Delivering a speech the Minister said the formation of the ministers of health committee will speed up decision-making and ensure optimal implementation of the decisions taken.
The meeting, he said, is of great importance as it will discuss a number of key health issues, adding that the leaders of GCC member states consider citizens’ health a top priority.
Co-operation between the GCC countries in the field of health has contributed significantly to improving health services in the member-states, he  said. “We are well aware that much work needs to be done in order to achieve our common goals and provide the highest levels of healthcare to the Gulf citizens in accordance with the highest international standards.”
He hoped that the decisions of the meeting would meet the aspirations of the Gulf citizens, and praised the efforts of the GCC General Secretariat led by Secretary General Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani.
Meanwhile, Secretary General Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani hailed the support extended by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to GCC strategy in order to achieve the aspirations of the GCC citizens.
He added that the GCC leaders have been keen on supporting and strengthening the joint action plan, pointing to the Supreme Council’s decision approving 2014-2015 Gulf plan for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
Dr al-Zayani also lauded the efforts by the GCC ministries of health in support of Yemen and Syria as well as the provision of field hospitals, medicines and medical supplies to support health services in the two countries to alleviate the suffering of their people, and expressed his thanks to the Red Crescent societies in GCC countries for their efforts in this regard.
The committee of ministers of health’s meeting discussed a number of topics, including a report on decisions by the Supreme Council and the Ministerial Council in the field of health, and the co-ordination of the GCC’s efforts to deal with cases of emergencies with regard to pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical supplies as well as health financing, among others.
The committee also discussed anti-smoking issue along with the international health regulations and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and a proposal by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to establish a Gulf committee on the safety of cosmetics.