The Middle East Council on Global Affairs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a project in Doha to address healthcare disparities in the global south.
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched in Doha on Monday a project to tackle healthcare disparities in the global south.
The initiative, supported by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeks to address pressing health issues, focusing on women’s health, neonatal health, and the prevention and response to outbreaks in the participating Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMCIs).
The event was a platform for discussions on the challenges and solutions surrounding enhanced access to primary healthcare services.
During the opening remarks, Qatar’s Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Al Kuwari acknowledged the obstacles faced by developing countries, attributing challenges to “geographical remoteness, inadequate infrastructure, and a scarcity of trained health workers”.
Despite significant improvements in the countries of the Global South over the past decades, Al Kuwari stressed that access to primary healthcare and basic health services remained a challenge.
During a panel discussion, Assistant Minister for Health Affairs at the Ministry of Public Health Dr Salih Al Marri underlined the importance of extending healthcare access beyond curative services, emphasising the need for preventive services to promote overall health and well-being.
Meanwhile, the director of Programme Management at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office Dr Ranaj Hajjeh emphasised the necessity of a heightened focus on strengthening healthcare systems, adding that “without that, we won’t be able to develop the platforms and sustainable successes that we aim to see”.
In the same panel on Monday, Executive Secretary of African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Joy Phumaphi highlighted the persisting challenges in developing countries due to rising populations.
“There are a lot of challenges remaining, and we have to appreciate that our population in developing countries is rising, so that means more challenges for us,” she said.
Participants at the panel discussion further expressed hope to convene this major health event every year.
Once the panel discussion ended, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah Al Khater gave her closing remarks.
Al Khater expressed Doha’s commitment to continuing support for access to primary healthcare in the Global South.
“Qatar will continue to support access to primary healthcare in the Global South. However, we are also interested in ensuring that this support is as effective as possible in improving healthcare and development outcomes for populations in need,” Al Khater said.
