Health Minister receives WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean
Manama, Aug. 5 (BNA): Dr. Jaleela bint Al Sayyed Jawad Hasan, Minister of Health, receives Dr. Hanan bint Hassan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The minister affirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and various international partners supporting the development of the health system in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
She highlighted the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing service efficiency and aligning with advanced healthcare standards, through the adoption of quality, governance, and sustainable health development goals for all.
Dr. Al Sayyed noted that Bahrain’s achievements in key health indicators, including the reduction of communicable diseases and the promotion of universal health coverage, are the result of national strategies inspired by the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the close follow-up by the Supreme Council of Health chaired by Lieutenant-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, in addition to fruitful partnerships with international organisations.
The minister emphasised that the meeting served as a key opportunity to review recent developments in Bahrain’s health sector, particularly the expansion of preventive programmes, the strengthening of community health initiatives, and the development of national health policies in line with international best practices.
For her part, Dr. Balkhy commended Bahrain’s tangible progress in the health sector, noting its leading practices in public health, prevention, preparedness, and epidemic response. She reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom through enhanced technical cooperation and the exchange of expertise to further bolster the resilience and sustainability of Bahrain’s health system.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of national health programmes, Bahrain’s leading experiences in combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, efforts to promote healthy lifestyles, and the development of rapid response strategies for health emergencies.
Additionally, the discussions focused on deepening cooperation in health emergency preparedness and updating national plans to address current and future health challenges, in alignment with the broader framework for regional and global health security.
