Health ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will gather in Riyadh on Wednesday for the 78th conference of the GCC Health Ministers Council to discuss the development of health systems under the theme: ‘Measuring Health Systems: Way to Excellence.’

The conference is being organized by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the executive board of the GCC Health Ministers Council and will be opened by Health Minister Ahmad Al-Khateeb in the presence of Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the GCC secretary and GCC health ministers.

In a press conference following the executive board meeting held on Monday to set the agenda, Dr. Ali bin Qassim Al-Qahtani, adviser to the minister of health for regional affairs and chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, said: “The conference comes as part of the continuation of the march and efforts of the GCC health ministers council to boost and support plans and strategies aimed at developing the services provided to citizens in GCC countries in different health sectors. The conference will discuss topics including technical, administrative and the organizational aspects of the council and its executive board through six working sessions.”

He said the two-day sessions will discuss many joint health issues including combating non-communicable diseases, cancer control, standards and regulations of cooperation with the Gulf health associations and major health indicators.”

He said the gathering will also discuss ways of combating smoking and how to tackle the issue of migrant workers and polio.

Al-Qahtani said the conference will address many scientific topics related to developing health work systems, promoting their mechanisms, and seeking the best practices to achieve excellence.

“The conference will review the latest developments at the international level to make use of them for the benefit of the people of the region,” Al-Qahtani said, shedding light on the importance of the theme of the conference and its compatibility with the renaissance witnessed by the health sectors in the GCC countries.

Moreover, the delegates will discuss the e-linking portal between the information centers in the GCC states and executive board, enhancing health information systems and smart cards, in addition to the unified procurement and central pharmaceutical registration, he added.

The conference which will be attended by a large number of health leaders from the Gulf countries will come up with important decisions reflecting the development of the health services in the GCC states, Al-Qahtani informed.

The conference activities at Ritz-Carlton hotel will also witness the signing of a Riyadh document related to the conference, he said.

Moreover, the first phase of the awareness program “Salamtak” (your safety) will be launched on the sidelines of the conference with the aim of briefing citizens of the GCC countries on common and emergency health issues.

Al-Qahtani further informed that the conference will also witness the honoring of the winners of the GCC excellence award in health media in its 2nd session for the first year (2014-2015), which was announced recently by the executive board of the GCC Health Ministers Council where the Kingdom represented by the MoH won four awards.