(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Serdar Burhan
ISLAMABAD, Oct 12 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait, during participation in a regional health conference, underscored need to rid the region of polio and it called for timeframe for effective combat of tobacco.
"The world is waiting to eradicate poliomyelitis from the region to declare the globe free of the disease, and it is expected that the number of people needing assistance products will exceed two billion by 2050," said Kuwaiti Minister of Health Dr. Jamal Al-Harbi, in a statement before departing the country.
Dr. Al-Harbi led a delegation that actively participated in the 64th session of World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Islamabad that concluded on Thursday.
The delegation affirmed support for efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis from the region in the near future and spotlighted efforts by Ministry of Health (MoH) against the disease that includes organizing awareness campaigns and annual vaccination of polio.
In a statement to KUNA during the four-day session, the Kuwaiti Minister praised efforts by Pakistan and WHO for making the event a success. He said, "Kuwait is an active member of EMRO (Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office) and we are keen not only to exchange the experience but also to share our success story with other member states." In his statement at end of his mission, Dr. Al-Harbi congratulated Pakistani Minister of Health Sara Afzal and Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Mahmoud Fikri on the success of the regional meetings hosted by Pakistan on 9th-12th October.
He expressed his gratitude over meeting with President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, applauded Pakistan's political commitment to the health issues where many projects, including Pakistan Epidemiological Eradication Document; Pakistan Polio Eradication Document; and Islamabad Declaration of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Devices for the Disabled, have been signed.
During the four-day conference, the regional director, Dr. Mohammed Fikry praised the presence and interventions of the Kuwaiti delegation including the proposal of the Minister to prepare a time plan for the region to fight smoking in accordance with the International Framework Convention and urged the countries of the region to ratify the Convention on Illicit Trade in Tobacco. The organization also adopted a proposal by Kuwait delegation to bring together the ministers of health and ministers of environment in the region to activate the road map for the next five years.
The delegation highlighted importance of early detection of cancer through community health surveys and shared Kuwait's experience of successfully implementing national health screening programs for the early detection of cancer.
The session concluded with endorsement of number of resolutions that will have a positive impact on the health of populations in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
In its final resolutions, the Regional Committee endorsed a regional framework for action on cancer prevention and control to scale up guidance to member states in support of international commitments and to guide country decision-making on policy options and priority interventions for cancer prevention and control according to national contexts.
The committee also endorsed a framework for action on climate change and health to guide the health sector response to climate change, in collaboration with other health-determining sectors, and build the resilience of health systems.
The committee, urging member states to develop and endorse national action plans in alignment with the global action plan, establish a high-level coordination mechanism and allocate adequate resources and develop and enforce policies and regulations to prevent purchase of antibiotics without prescription, adopted a resolution on antimicrobial resistance.
Dr. Al-Harbi, accompanied by other senior officials from Kuwaiti MoH, were among high level representatives from 22 countries in WHO's eastern Mediterranean region attending the event.
The delegation included Director of the Primary Health Care Department Dr. Rihab Al-Watiyan, Head of Pediatrics Department at Al-Adan Hospital Dr. Fawaz Al-Refai, Consultant of Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti and Gastroenterologist Dr. Fahad Al-Ibrahim. (end) sbk.rk
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