The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in co-operation with Qatar University, organised a symposium at the latter's headquarters, on 'Behavioural Insights: The Latest in the Science of Behaviour Change.'
Dr Saleh al-Marri, Assistant Minister of Public Health for Health Affairs, described the event as an important milestone for knowledge exchange and co-operation in the field of behavioural sciences.
"We seek to effectively address public health issues and empower individuals to make the right choices to live a healthy and positive life, we look forward to collaborating with academics, experts, and other stakeholders to shape the future of behavioural sciences inside and outside the country.”
Dr Hanan Abdel-Rahim, dean of the College of Health Sciences, QU, said: “Whether we are talking about chronic diseases or preparing for any epidemics, human behaviour is at the heart of today's public health challenges. Human behaviour is very complex, so we need the appropriate scientific tools and evidence base to understand what drives behaviours and how they can be changed to help people live healthier and more productive lives.”
The global non-communicable disease pandemic has contributed to the importance of behaviour change investigations as a critical tool in addressing the main determinants of ill health.
The MoPH has been at the forefront of using behavioural sciences to promote healthy lifestyles, encourage healthy eating habits and regular physical activity, and address risk factors associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases such as Covid-19, influenza, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, a MoPH statement added.
Dr Saleh al-Marri
Dr Hanan Abdel-Rahim
