Qatar commited to supporting global health security

The State of Qatar participated in the 5th Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety, which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, from 23 to 24 February 2023, with a delegation headed by Her Excellency Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari

February 26, 2023 - 20:51

Qatar commited to supporting global health security

Source: Ministry of Public Health

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According to the Ministry of Public Health, HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari delivered a speech at a high-level session of the Ministerial Summit chaired by His Excellency, Mr. Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, where she stressed the commitment of the State of Qatar to the international community to participate in supporting global health security and renewed the country's support for the implementation of the Global Action Plan for Patient Safety 2021-2030.

HE pointed to the great importance of the WHO Framework on Quality and Patient Safety to face emergencies and adversity, which was launched in 2019, noting the contribution of Qatar to the development of this framework by organizing an accompanying event at the 72nd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2019 in cooperation with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and 17 countries and other relevant organizations to draw global attention to the importance of the topic. Doha also hosted the second consultative meeting on the framework in December 2019.

HE explained that this comes as an embodiment of the lofty values established by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the Qatar National Vision 2030, which emphasizes that the State of Qatar is an active and responsible member of the international community that contributes to various fields.

"Patient safety is an integral part of Qatar's healthcare system, which is reflected in our National Health Strategies, and this is reflected in many programs and initiatives such as the National Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning System, the National Committee for Quality and Patient Safety, and the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute. Our National Antimicrobial Control Program has adopted a "One Health" approach with proven antimicrobial programs and a strict national drug policy.

HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari pointed out that the report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient safety contributed to highlighting the exacerbation of known risks related to patient safety, and identifying new risks that emerged during the pandemic, and recommended using the important report to work to fill gaps and address new risks to improve the resilience and safety of healthcare systems.

HE said: "Despite the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the safety of patients, staff and the healthcare system, there have been many radical changes and positive developments in Qatar and around the world.

HE added: "During the pandemic, our health system has shown high resilience to increase its capacity, redesign infrastructure, and redirect resources to meet growing demand while retaining other essential health services."

HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari said: "Experience has taught us that building resilience in the health system is not a luxury, but an imperative." "We have learned from the pandemic that involving our community and participating in all preventive measures has been the cornerstone of all our efforts to bring about change and improve public health and its core value of social justice.

Her Excellency expressed great appreciation for the role of primary care in maintaining the continuity of providing basic health services, and its contribution to achieving universal health coverage.

Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari added: "We have learned these lessons in preparing our plans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which have been successfully implemented, resulting in completing of one of the most outstanding football tournaments for achieving high standards and a sustainable legacy."

Her Excellency also spoke about the current health risks faced by Turkey and Syria in the wake of the devastating earthquake they have been exposed to. Noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the health crisis in the earthquake zone could be worse than the earthquake itself, she pointed out to the Qatari support that has been provided to the two countries, adding: "It is time to renew solidarity and unity to help these two countries in response efforts to meet the needs of people who survived the disaster."

Her Excellency added: The government of Qatar continues to strengthen its effective and reliable public health system to support the entire population in the country. The health services in the country depend on a skilled national workforce, which works in public and private institutions to provide the best to services the patients.

The Fifth Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety was held under the theme "Less Harm, Better Care – From Decision to Implementation", and reviewed several important topics, most notably, experiences gained from global action on patient safety and the implementation of patient safety measures.