Qatar will be the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to receive the WHO Healthy City awards for all eight of its municipalities.

The World Health Organization has designated all of Qatar’s cities as “Healthy Cities,” with Qatar University as a “Healthy University” and Qatar Foundation’s Education City as a “Healthy Education City”.

The honouring ceremony on Monday was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.

As a result of one of the National Health Strategy 2018–2022 projects, all Qatari municipalities acquired the designation of “Healthy Cities” during the ceremony.

A documentary on healthy cities was screened for representatives of the Ministries of Public Health and Municipality, the WHO, Qatar University, Generation Amazing, and the Qatar Olympic Sports Museum.

The ceremony culminated with the presentation of accreditation certificates to the recently approved municipalities and Qatar University.

The Healthy City programme seeks to improve population health by promoting health and well-being, enhancing equity, empowering communities, and preventing the primary causes of ill health through the inclusion of health in all policies.

It also involved the strengthening of cooperation and partnership across various sectors and the society.

Qatar will be the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean region to receive the WHO Healthy City awards for all eight of its municipalities as a result of the country’s enormous efforts to offer its population sustainable and healthier options.

Following the ceremony, the prime minister and interior minister planted the first tree as part of a project to plant a million trees to symbolise Qatar’s healthy cities.

Two more trees were planted to symbolise Qatar University’s designation as a “Healthy University” and Qatar Foundation’s Education City’s designation as a “Healthy Education City” by the WHO.

Eight trees were planted to symbolise each of Qatar’s eight municipalities.

The “One Million Tree Planting” Initiative includes the 11 trees that were planted. The Children’s Museum of Qatar’s DADU will receive all of the trees.

The WHO launched the global initiative Healthy Cities with the goal of elevating health to the top of cities’ social and political agendas by promoting sustainability, equity, and good health through innovation.

The Regional Vision for the Eastern Mediterranean 2023, “Health for all, and by all,” is in line with this initiative. Cities that meet the WHO criteria are given the “Healthy City” award.

Al-Wakra’s e-recycling efforts

The award comes as Al Wakra Municipality launched a new initiative to recycle electronic waste as part of the nation’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The municipality and Electronics Recycling Factory (ERF) on Monday signed a cooperation agreement to gather electronic waste from all over the municipality and safely recycle it in order to protect the environment.

In accordance with the agreement, ERF has released a mobile phone app with the same name that enables residents to contact the business to have their used computers, television sets, video games, cell phones, copiers, and other electronic waste collected.

The agreement also aims to raise awareness of the dangers posed by electronic waste and the proper methods for getting rid of it.