Oman to host first-ever conference on non-communicable diseases

Oman Sunday 01/December/2019 16:16 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman to host first-ever conference on non-communicable diseases

Muscat: Oman will host the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global meeting on non-communicable diseases from December 9 to 12 at Kempinski Hotel Muscat.

The announcement was made by H.E. Dr. Ali bin Talib Al-Hinai, Undersecretary for Planning Affairs at Ministry of Health along with H.E. Dr. Akjimal Magtimova, WHO Representative to the Sultanate at a press meet held on Sunday.

According to Dr. Al Hinai, the event will bring together more than 150 countries with selected UN partners and civil society, the private sector, philanthropies, academia and donors, for an immersive capacity building conference focusing on how governments can implement WHO-endorsed low cost “best buy” solutions that reduce premature NCD deaths on a dramatic scale.

“Further, through these measures, we could save 8 million lives in low- and lower-middle-income countries by 2030 and generate US $350B in economic growth. Examples of these solutions range from marketing bans and taxation to reduce exposure to tobacco and unhealthy foods and drinks, to providing access to essential health services to all people to protect them from these conditions,” Al Hinai informed.

He also pointed out that this meeting is the first Global Meeting on NCDs since the 2018 UN High-Level Declaration on Non-communicable diseases and the 2019 UN High-Level Declaration on Universal Health Care.

"A number of representatives from health and non-health sectors, international organizations and other global stakeholders will participate in this Global Meeting" Dr. Akjimal Magtimova said.

The Conference will comprise a series of exciting and interactive plenary and panel discussions, while numerous new initiatives to prevent and control NCDs will be launched