Qatar has taken the necessary steps to overcome the impact of the ongoing siege in order to ensure adequate supplies of medicine and food, HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari has said.
Addressing the 71st session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, she stressed that the unjust blockade imposed on Qatar since June 2017 violated all international conventions and agreements.
HE Dr al-Kuwari said the despite the surprise factor of the blockade, the country worked on overcoming it through implementing emergency plans to deal with the situation with the aim of providing food and medicine by finding alternatives in pursuit of the national vision, the official Qatar News Agency reported. 
She also said Qatar has continued to provide health services to the entire population, including citizens of the blockading countries, in accordance with the country's belief that health is a basic human right that should not be affected by political differences. 
During the session, HE the Minister affirmed Qatar's commitment to providing comprehensive government health coverage to all citizens and residents on its territory through the provision of preventive, primary, secondary and specialised health services in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.
She noted that, under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar is working on developing its healthcare system to maintain the health and well-being of current and future generations.
"Qatar launched its national vision in 2008, which in its essence emphasises the provision of comprehensive health coverage to all inhabitants of the country. Government-subsidised healthcare is provided across the country to all inhabitants, Qataris and expatriates. Government health facilities provide services ranging from preventive to primary and secondary and even specialised services," she explained.
The minister noted that Qatar has seen significant expansion in the number of health facilities and services in recent years while being committed to the highest levels of quality standards. 
The health sector has witnessed important achievements through the implementation of the National Health Strategy 2011-2016, she observed. The National Health Strategy 2018-2022 has been launched, and it focuses on the triple objective of better health, better care and better value.
Further, she explained that the health strategy focuses on seven priority population groups, which have been selected based on the current population and health needs of the Qatari society. In addition, the strategy specifies five priorities at the health system level, ranging from enhancing comprehensive care to health promotion in all policies to cover the basics of effective healthcare as defined by the World Health Organisation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Public Health.
"We have specified 19 result-oriented main indicators of performance based on approved international standards to monitor the implementation of the strategy and guarantee that the principles of comprehensive healthcare are achieved throughout the system. This is supported by a sophisticated information system based on individual records to support the determination of priorities and monitor and evaluate development," HE the Minister explained.
HE the Minister affirmed the humanitarian and international role of Qatar in supporting less privileged countries by offering them developmental support, including assistance for sustainable development projects in health and education.
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