RIYADH, 9 April 2006 — Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has called for a global initiative to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases in developing countries. The minister made this statement at the World Health Day celebrations yesterday.
“There should be a consolidated effort to address health problems in poor countries in which diseases go along with poverty,” Al-Manie said, pointing out that diseases such as AIDS, avian flu, malaria, tuberculosis, diabetes and cardiovascular ailments are global problems. The minister stressed the need for the WHO to intensify its efforts to meet the needs of those affected by these diseases.
“Programs that educate the masses on disease prevention and the supply of adequate medicines to treat these diseases should be undertaken at national and international levels,” he emphasized.
The minister said polio had been wiped out of the Kingdom due to an effective vaccination program throughout the country.
On behalf of WHO, the minister distributed awards to 10 Health Ministry officials for outstanding services toward the Kingdom’s health care programs. Among the recipients were Dr. Mansoor Naser Al-Howasi, deputy minister of health for executive affairs; Dr. Yacoub Al-Mazroe, assistant deputy minister for preventive medicine; Dr. Khaled Al-Mirghalani, general supervisor for communications and health awareness; and Hamad K. Al-Khuwailed, director of health education and supervisor of the healthy cities program in the Ministry of Health.
The minister also distributed cash awards and certificates to winners of the art competition held among students in Saudi schools.
Dr. Awad Mukhtar, resident representative of WHO in Riyadh, said that World Health Day highlights the need for more health workers, pointing out that the Kingdom has been taking steps to train more local health workers by opening more colleges of medicine. He said the Ministry of Health would open a college of medicine at King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh and two more in Taif and Dammam.
