WHO designates Qatar cities with ‘healthy’ status

Qatar receives another WHO recognition, following the Public Health Minister’s appointment as Co-Chair of WHO Subcommittee.

The World Health Organization has awarded Doha and Al-Rayyan municipalities with “Healthy Cities” status and honoured Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City with “Healthy Education City,” in a ceremony Msheireb Downtown.

The event was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani and was organized by the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation and the Ministry of Municipality.

The ‘Healthy City’ campaign is designed to boost the health condition of the population through instilling health segments in policies which will in turn embolden closer cooperation among different governmental sectors. This will be done in an attempt to prevent the spread of diseases in the community.

The honorary status given to QF’s Education City comes as part of the ‘Health-Promoting Universities’ program and the “Healthy City” program. Various QF research institutes have contributed heavily to the health, technology and research sectors.

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Among the participants who took part in the ceremony were Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of the Qatar Foundation, Dr Hanan Mohamed Al-Kuwari, and Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sheikha Hind Al-Thani reiterated the importance of health promotion saying, “improving people’s health and wellbeing within our cities and communities requires shared commitment and action from many stakeholders.”

Planning and Quality Director, Ali Khalid Al-Khulaifi maintained that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is “keen to protect consumer health and safety by ensuring the safety of the products and commodities offered in the local market and their conformity with standard specification.”

Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari expressed, “the adoption of the Healthy City initiative affirms Qatar’s commitment to achieving universal health.”

Commenting on this prestigious achievement, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari said that Qatar has “demonstrated significant commitment to improving health and well-being.”

A WHO delegation conducted a field examination in Doha and Al-Rayyan municipalities earlier to evaluate their eligibility for “Healthy City” status, according to the Qatar News Agency.

Read also: Researchers in Qatar develop advanced screening tool for genetic diseases

WHO’s ‘Healthy Cities’ initiative

The ‘Healthy City’ program is an international project, launched by WHO, that aims to prioritize health by placing it at the top of the social and political agenda of cities through “promoting health, equity and sustainable development through innovation and multisectoral change,” QNA stated.

The program is aligned with the Eastern Mediterranean Region vision 2023, ‘Health for All By All.’ The awarded status, is granted to cities which manage to meet the criteria put forth by the WHO.
The ‘Healthy City’ program in Qatar serves as one of its strategic projects under the ‘Health in All Policies’ priority found in the National Health Strategy 2018-2022.

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