March 2025, Doha, Qatar – WHO Regional Director for the Japanese Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy concluded a profitable official go to to Qatar geared toward strengthening collaboration on key well being priorities, together with well being emergencies, local weather change, humanitarian response, well being workforce improvement and substance use.
The go to marked a major step in WHO’s deepening partnership with Qatar. In conferences with senior Qatari officers discussions ranged from advancing humanitarian well being initiatives and supporting susceptible populations to reinforcing Qatar’s management in international well being safety.
Dr Balkhy’s assembly with Minister of Public Well being H.E. Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud centered on reinforcing strategic cooperation on the implementation of Qatar’s Nationwide Growth Technique 3 (NDS3) and Nationwide Well being Technique 3 (NHS3). Their discussions additionally explored WHO-Qatari collaboration on increasing equitable entry to medical merchandise, one in all Dr Balkhy’s 3 flagship initiatives, and highlighted Qatar’s management function inside WHO.
In a constructive assembly with Minister of State for Worldwide Cooperation H.E. Maryam Al Misnad, Dr Balkhy reaffirmed the significance of WHO’s partnership with Qatar in advancing regional and international well being priorities. Their dialogue centered on well being challenges in conflict-affected international locations and explored methods to rebuild well being system infrastructure, together with well being workforce coaching and re-accreditation, in step with one other of the flagship initiatives.
Qatar’s substantial contributions to humanitarian well being efforts in crisis-affected areas such because the Syrian Arab Republic, occupied Palestinian territory and Sudan fashioned a serious focus of the go to. Dr Balkhy mentioned methods to strengthen joint efforts in well being system improvement, financing and emergency response with key stakeholders and held discussions with the Qatar Crimson Crescent Society (QRCS) and Qatar Charity (QC) on reinforcing cooperation on emergency preparedness and the supply of medical and humanitarian help.
Methods to advance collaboration on well being system strengthening and enhance entry to important well being companies in fragile settings have been additionally explored with the Director Normal of the Qatar Fund for Growth Mr Fahad Al Sulaiti. The discussions lined joint methods and capacity-building to ship sustainable well being options.
Local weather-related well being points, together with Qatar’s progress in the direction of targets set out in its Nationwide Motion Plan for Local weather Change 2030 and the significance of the well being sector’s function in local weather resilience, dominated Dr Balkhy’s assembly with H.E. Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Surroundings and Local weather Change.
“We extremely worth Qatar’s dedication to addressing well being challenges associated to local weather change, together with air high quality and concrete sustainability,” stated Dr Balkhy. “This go to has supplied a chance to discover deeper collaboration, significantly in advancing WHO’s well being and local weather agenda. We additionally sit up for working with Qatar to increase experience in well being training and workforce improvement throughout the Area, significantly in relation to innovation and capacity-building.”
Methods to strengthen collaboration on well being training and workforce improvement and speed up public well being motion on substance use have been explored throughout Dr Balkhy’s assembly with H.E. Lolwah Al Khater, Minister of Training and Greater Training.
A gathering with Assistant Undersecretary for City Affairs Mr Turki Al Turki supplied a chance to strengthen cooperation on the Wholesome Cities initiative and discover methods to raised combine well being into city planning to assist Qatar’s imaginative and prescient for sustainable, climate-resilient cities. Discussions with H.E. Sheikha Hanouf Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Director of the Worldwide Organizations Division on the Ministry of International Affairs, centered on establishing a strategic cooperation framework between WHO and Qatar to formalize and increase joint initiatives.
Built-in well being and social safety insurance policies for susceptible populations, together with joint initiatives in psychological well being, violence prevention and selling wholesome life by way of community-based programmes fashioned the substance of talks with Mr Fahd Al Khayarin, Undersecretary for Social Growth and Household.
At Qatar College, Dr Balkhy mentioned alternatives for collaboration on well being training, analysis and workforce improvement with Professor Asma Al Thani, Vice President for Well being and Medical Sciences. The main focus was on digital psychological well being, educational exchanges and advancing public well being motion on substance use.
The outcomes of the seventh version of the World Innovation Summit for Well being (WISH) have been reviewed with WISH CEO Dr. Slim Slama. Alternatives for additional collaboration with WISH, the World Innovation Summit for Training (WISE) CEO Mr. Stavros Yiannuka, and a consultant from the Doha Worldwide Household Institute have been additionally explored, with a deal with well being training, innovation, and bettering regional entry to care.
Dr Balkhy’s area journeys included Naufar Hospital, a number one centre for substance use remedy and rehabilitation. The go to aligned with Dr Balkhy’s third flagship initiative: discussions centered on collaboration in capacity-building, analysis and coaching programmes on the abilities wanted to handle substance use successfully.
The go to’s full schedule of high-level engagements underscored the deepening partnership between WHO and Qatar and allowed each events to reaffirm their shared dedication to advancing well being targets and strengthening humanitarian well being efforts throughout the Japanese Mediterranean Area and past.
Chosen images from the mission
Dr Hanan Balkhy with HE Lolwah Al Khater Minister of Training and Greater Training
Dr Hanan Balkhy with HE Mr Mansoor Al Mahmoud Minister of Public Well being
Dr Hanan Balkhy with HE Minister of State for Worldwide Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad
