UAE, March 19, 2017 – The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) organized the third meeting of the Joint Committee on Health of Cities in the GCC in coordination with the GCC Secretariat General. H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdel-Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary of MOHAP’s Health Centers and Clinics Sector opened the meeting in the presence of representatives from various ministries.

Dr. Hussein Al Rand highlighted the importance of the meeting as the ideal venue to address the goals of the ‘Healthy Cities’ program, noting the success story of the city of Sharjah in creating an integrated system of services and initiatives that improve the quality and standards of living in the community, including the social and environmental concerns, following the standards of the World Health Organization. The program is a record achievement for the UAE and must be replicated, which can only be achieved through the collaborations between government agencies, private institutions and civil society, Al Rand added.

The Committee discussed its functions and mechanism of action as well as developed an action plan, discussing the planned Unified Healthy Cities. The meeting focused on discussing the plan to hold the ‘Healthy Cities’ conference in Kuwait from November 6 to 8 this year. The meeting also looked into Sharjah’s unique experiences having been certified by the World Health Organization as the first certified healthy city in the region. The delegation visited Sharjah to observe its outstanding experiences as a healthy city, including a visit to the Sharjah Health Authority Centre, Family Health Promotion Center, Sajaya Center and Nursing Home and the Muwailih Suburb Council.

Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif, MOHAP’s Director of Health Education and Promotion Department added that the Committee is preparing a common standard for the implementation of the Healthy Cities program in all GCC countries based on WHO standards, as well as work on building the competencies and capabilities of workers in the field of healthy cities, including marketing the concept and the development of a media plan, performance indicators and the establishment of a Gulf observatory for community information.