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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Sultanate has made big strides in combating NCDs, says WHO

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MUSCAT, DEC 10 - Worldwide, 41 million people die of non-communicable diseases making NCDs the leading cause of premature death, which is 70 per cent of total deaths, and Oman is no any exception. These NCDs include heart attacks, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes or one of the psychological disorders and is a huge burden on the national economies of the respective countries. This was revealed at the official opening ceremony of the World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Health organised Global Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health held under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.


Graced by Their Highnesses and Excellencies, accompanying delegations, the four-day conference hosts more than 500 representatives of regional and international bodies related to health, and a large gathering of invitees and participants.


“The commitment of Oman to the health of its people is impressive and the country has achieved greater milestones in curbing NCDs. The Al Jazeera Health Initiative, which Oman announced recently, is a testament to the country’s unrelenting commitment to providing health services in an integrated manner”, Dr Tedros Adhanum Gebrysos, Director-General of the World Health Organization.


“The devastating effect of this is not limited to the human aspect, but extends to paralyse the economy, both in terms of the costs of treating people with long-term diseases, and in terms of lost productivity. Therefore, taking decisive measures to combat non-communicable diseases is not only a moral imperative, but rather a necessity Also economical.”


“We are very happy that Oman has become a member of this network, and we look forward to supporting the country in its endeavours to protect its citizens from non-communicable diseases”, he added.


Dr Tedros Adhanum Gebrysos presided over the launch the country cooperation strategy between WHO and Oman and the national plan of action for noncommunicable diseases last year in Muscat.


“The Sultanate of Oman, like many countries, has witnessed a major shift in the burden of disease.”


A number of ministers of health, heads of delegations, government representatives and health experts along with the WHO Deputy Director-General and Dr Ahmed al Mandhri, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, attended the High-level Commission Meeting in the WHO Global Meeting.


The health experts also handed eight recommendations to the WHO Deputy Director-General that could save millions of lives and promote mental health in order to identify innovative ways to curb the world’s leading causes of death such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, respiratory diseases and mental health conditions.


These recommendations include encouraging Heads of State and Government to fulfil their commitment to provide strategic leadership by involving all relevant government departments, businesses, civil society groups as well as health professionals and people at risk from or suffering from NCDs and mental health conditions; support countries in efforts to empower individuals to make healthy choices by ensuring that the environment is conducive to living a healthy life, and that people receive the information they need to make healthy choices.


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