Ohood al Jailaniyah
MUSCAT: Dr John Jabbour, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Sultanate of Oman, praised the developed health system and the relentless efforts aimed to strengthen primary health care.
In an interview with Oman Arabic, the WHO representative said that the Sultanate of Oman is among the leading countries in implementing fruitful initiatives, and that the health system is set to see further development and achievements, which will be reflected in the level of joint cooperation to improve its future directions, in addition to focusing on developing strategic plans related to epidemic and pandemic preparedness and digital transformation.
He added: “What distinguishes the Sultanate of Oman is its clear political commitment of the leadership, government and various sectors to developing the healthcare system. This commitment is reflected in strengthening primary health care, universal health coverage and the high success the health programmes have achieved, strategic plans as well as the Oman Vision 2040 plans. It also includes the training of leaders at all levels, preparedness for all public health risks and efforts to expand the scope of health units. It also aims to move toward health decentralization by granting greater powers to governorates. Cooperation with governors has also contributed to the expansion of public health programmes, most notably the Healthy Cities and Villages programme, one of the Sultanate of Oman’s major health achievements. The number has increased to 12 healthy cities, eight of which have been announced with the rest to be announced soon.”
Regarding the most prominent strategies and future directions planned by the WHO to improve public health in the Sultanate of Oman, he emphasized that the Sultanate of Oman is a leading country in developing and implementing health initiatives, particularly those related to epidemic and pandemic preparedness and digital transformation, such as virtual medicine, restructuring the health system, and strengthening primary health care being the foundation for building effective health leaders especially in the public health sector. These are among the most important current strategic development phases that the organization is supporting in the Sultanate of Oman.
“We are also proud to name the Sultanate of Oman the ‘Land of Health Initiatives’ due to its leading projects such as the ‘Health for Peace” initiative, in partnership with the Swiss government. This is one of the strategies adopted by the Sultanate of Oman with a comprehensive vision to provide significant support to promote public health regionally and internationally. The WHO is making efforts to strengthen the Sultanate of Oman’s positions on public health, which are constantly evolving and have an advanced position compared to countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, such as the progress achieved by the health system in implementing health regulations and its active participation in regional and international health committees.” he said.
The Sultanate of Oman has also demonstrated its preparedness in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving vaccination coverage of 68 per cent of the population in less than three weeks. This is considered an exceptional achievement in terms of providing a safe vaccine and gradual and effective response to protect members of society, enabling it to limit the spread of the virus. Among the WHO’s strategies, which the Sultanate of Oman has adopted, is transparency in dealing with information and providing accurate data. In most cases of dealing with public health incidents, we face the problem of rumours, which must be addressed, especially with the development of social media and the rapid circulation of information to promote public health at the community level." he said.
Regarding programmes to combat chronic non-communicable diseases in the Sultanate of Oman, he said: “The Sultanate of Oman is striving to make 2026 the year of non-Communicable diseases, with a focus on early diagnosis, treatment, prevention and raising community awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles. The Ministry of Health is working with various sectors through the National Committee for Combating Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases." he concluded.
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