HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari presided over the first Joint Committee Meeting on ‘Health in All Policies’ with the participation of representatives from 11 ministries and government entities.
The meeting was held recently at the Ministry of Public Health headquarters.
The committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of health initiatives in all policies included in the Qatar National Development Strategy 2018-2022 by promoting joint work between ministries and state institutions to develop common public policies that positively affect health determinants.
The committee discussed several key topics, most notably a project to adopt a healthy city in Qatar by the World Health Organisation (WHO) by 2022. A preliminary list of cities included in the WHO initial assessment tasks was identified and is expected to be carried out within the next two months.
During the meeting, HE the Minister of Public Health stressed the importance of directing joint efforts towards adopting the approach of healthy cities to achieve the health and well-being of all segments of society, praising the fruitful collaboration between ministries and institutions to achieve the goals of Qatar’s Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 in this regard.
The formation of the committee comes as an important step to contribute to the implementation of the commitments announced on October 31 during the ‘Healthy City for Children’ symposium, which seeks to reduce the high rates of childhood obesity, promote healthy food behaviour and physical activity through the development and implementation of common policies that enable families and individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
It also aims to strengthen the role of the private sector as a partner that contributes to a long-term healthy life for children.
The committee included representatives of HE the Prime Minister’s Office, the ministries of Interior, Public Health, Municipality & Environment, Culture & Sports, Education & Higher Education, Transport & Communications, Commerce & Industry, and Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs; as well as the Planning and Statistics Authority and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

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