HRH Premier honoured by WHO

Geneva, May 20 (BNA): The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today announced the honoring of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa as a World Leader in the health field. The announcement was made at the 72nd World Health Assembly meeting at the UN headquarters in Geneva, in the presence of Heads of States, governments and ministers of health from the organisation's 194 member states, representing the supreme decision-making body. The honour was a tribute to His Royal Highness the Premier for his pioneering role and contributions to promoting the public health sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Being the first world leader to be honoured by the World Health Organisation confirms the high international recognition of his achievements in the field of sustainable development, in general, and the health sector in particular. Minister of Health Faeqa bint Saeed Al Saleh received the shield on behalf of His Royal Highness the Premier from the WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In a speech marking the occasion, which was delivered by the Minister of Health, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the WHO Director General for the honour which, he said comes from a long-standing organisation with a noble humanitarian task. He added that the honour is a tribute for the numerous achievements made in the health sector, which is a cornerstone of the Kingdom's sustainable development plans. HRH stressed the great importance given by the Bahraini government to the health sector through plans to provide a modern health infrastructure, improve the quality of health facilities and provide them with the latest technological equipment and well-trained staff. "This recognition is an incentive for us all in the Kingdom of Bahrain to continue the efforts to improve healthcare and treatment services and make them more responsive to the growing needs in light of the population and urban growth," he said. HRH Prince Khalifa expressed the kingdom’s appreciation of the ongoing cooperation with the WHO to support its plans and programmes aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals. He also underlined the Kingdom's keenness to strengthen this cooperation, especially through the Khalifa Bin Salman Award for Sustainable Development in supporting the objectives of the World Health Organization in various fields. HRH the Premier praised the meetings of the WHO this year, which are being convened under the slogan "Universal health coverage—leaving no one behind, affirming the WHO’s key role in achieving its lofty goals in the service of mankind. “We appreciate the organisation's role in achieving sustainable development goals, primary health care and combating communicable and non- communicable diseases ", HRH noted. For her part, the Health Minister described the honour, the first of its kind in the organisation’s history, as an important international recognition of the achievements of the Kingdom of Bahrain thanks to the approach and support of HRH the premier in achieving the SDGs in the field of health. She added that it is also a recognition of his keenness to ensure the implementation of the best health standards and provision of optimum sustainable health care for citizens and residents in Bahrain.. “It was a great honour to choose His Royal Highness during the high-level event at the headquarters of the organization at the United Nations Palace in Geneva,” the minister said. She described the high international honour as a tribute for the role of His Royal Highness the Premier in supporting the efforts of the organization to achieve its objectives and programmes.