Dr. Mahmood Fikri, the UAE Assistant Undersecretary for Health Policies has highlighted the experience of the United Arab Emirates in dealing with non-communicable diseases, the mission and vision of its Ministry of Health in fighting diseases and maintaining the health of individuals and society. In a paper presented at the International Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-Communicable Diseases in the Arab World and the Middle East, which concluded its deliberations in Riyadh yesterday, Dr. Fikri, who was one of the three-member UAE delegation to conference, said that non-communicable diseases represent one of the common health challenges in the 21st century as they cause 60% of death cases all over the world whereas 80% of these death cases are of middle and lower income categories. The other members of the UAE delegation were Dr. Mona Al Kawari, Director of Primary Health Care Central Administration and Dr. Kalthoom Hassan, Director of Specialized Health in the Ministry of Health. The conference was held under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It was organized by the Saudi Ministry of Health in cooperation with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Office. In his paper, Dr.Fikri explained that the topic is on top of the WHO and UN agendas since 2008. "Gulf and Regional countries issued various decisions and declarations in this regard such as the recommendation of the 71st conference for GCC health ministers regarding non-communicable diseases in Geneva in May 2011 and Al Manama declaration about GCC non-communicable diseases 2011/2012 as well as Muscat declarations about the economies of non-communicable diseases in January 2012," he was quoted as saying by the UAE news agency "WAM." --MORE
