Abdellatif Sharaa, KUNA
KUWAIT: "Kuwait is considered a regional and global role model in health promotion and sustainable development, thanks to the directives of the wise leadership, which paid great attention to achieving health and national security by overcoming challenges and meeting the requirements of community health promotion and sustainable development,” Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi said during the opening of the Second Kuwait Health Cities Conference on Monday.
He added that the Healthy Cities Initiative derives its strength and sustainability by the active community participation and the involvement of various segments of society in achieving health development, explaining that close cooperation between government, private sectors, academic and research institutions enhances the comprehensiveness of this approach and makes the policies a reality. He pointed out that the Ministry aspires to expand the system of health cities to include all regions of Kuwait.
Dr Hanan Al-Balkhi, Regional Director of the WHO Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, said in a similar speech that the regional network of healthy cities includes 121 cities in 15 countries, including Kuwaiti cities and seven cities meet the criteria for evaluating healthy cities according to WHO.
Al-Balkhi pointed out that Kuwait is moving at a rapid pace towards becoming a regional leader in promoting urban environments that support health, sustainability and the resilience of local communities, adding that healthy cities have a positive and measurable impact on climate change by reducing pollution, increasing green spaces and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Dr Fatima Al-Najjar, Assistant Undersecretary for Community Medical Services Affairs at the Ministry, said in her speech that the Ministry’s interest in applying community initiatives came based on scientific facts and medical evidence that states the health of societies is a product of the balance of those societies from administrative systems and lifestyles.
In her speech, Dr Amal Al-Yahya, Head of the Healthy Cities Bureau and president of the conference, reviewed the achievements of ten years of implementing the Healthy Cities Initiative in Kuwait through the models, achievements and lessons learned. Al-Yahya said that Kuwait applied the Healthy Cities Initiative with an effective community participation methodology, while providing technical, logistical and political support, which resulted in the registration of 18 and accreditation of seven of the Kuwaiti health cities on the regional network of healthy cities.