WHO rewards world's first health care leader's award to Bahrain's prime minister

The World Health Organization has congratulated the Prime Minister of Bahrain, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, on the honor of the Health Leaders of the WHO Director-General for his outstanding political leadership in the promoting health care around the world and continuing the agenda.

This recognition is the first of its kind in the history of the organization.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Prime Minister Prince Khalifa for his many efforts to advance global partnerships and collaboration for access to affordable health care. the services are free, in what has become a global model.

"It is a great honor to have an audience with Your Royal Highness and to thank you for your leadership, your support and the Kingdom of Bahrain's efforts in the health sector." Bahrain has become a model of success in this area. field and we would like to pbad on to the World Health Organization your experiences in other countries, which benefited the Director-General during his meeting with the Prime Minister last November.

Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Bahrain's health sector has been transformed into a series of interventions aimed at reducing the burden of disease by ensuring that all citizens and foreign workers have access to health care services. comprehensive, modern health care and via a network of health services at the national level. all levels, including primary and secondary health care and clinical care.

This, while the government is employing to update the 2016-2025 Health Plan, which aimed to build confidence in the national health system, reduce diseases and inequities of access to health care and medicines, and to complement the National Plan for NCDs developed by the Ministry of Health.

The investment has paid off. The maternal mortality rate in Bahrain is currently 14 deaths per 100,000 live births, exceeding the global target for 2030, which was 70 deaths per 100 live births. This is because 99.8% of births are supervised by health professionals. Health care services are provided during pregnancy and include prenatal and neonatal care, including immunization and family planning services.

The National Strategy for Children, a four-year initiative launched in 2013, has reduced the number of deaths of children under five to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births, 50% less than the number of children under five years of age. global target of 24 deaths per 1,000 live children. births from here 2030.

Increased community awareness of TB and HIV prevention and early case detection, including through the establishment of a pre-employment medical screening system, and 39 Access to treatment of patients has reduced the risk of transmission, which has the risk of transmission with infection rates rising to 0.04 AIDS per 1,000 uninfected persons and 0, 17 TB per 1,000 people.

Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases being the leading causes of death in Bahrain, the government has adopted a national plan for the fight against noncommunicable diseases, recommended by the World Health Organization. The plan that is fully implemented will see a reduction in the rate of premature deaths resulting from these diseases from 65% in 2010 to 48.8% by 2025.

In the context of mental health services, Bahrain has implemented mental health programs in schools, as well as the National Commission against Narcotics and Drug Addiction, which has reduced the number of suicides by suicide from 11 to 0, 7 per 100,000 inhabitants for the period 2005-2014.

In 2017, the Ministry of Youth and Sports launched the "Takatof" solidarity program to raise awareness among young people. It also addresses substance abuse and addiction issues by using peer education as a way to combat this epidemic.

In order to badess the health status of people living in Bahrain, a national health survey was launched in January 2018, in collaboration with the Information and Electronic Government Authority. .

This helped to identify risk factors and chronic diseases, in addition to providing information on maternal and child health. The implementation of this project was part of the government's action plan and aims to contribute to the definition of the country's health priorities, considering future strategies for health expenditure, health insurance, human resources for the health sector, program management, monitoring. and evaluation, as well as other factors that help policy makers develop health policies and programs that benefit the general public. The survey has been approved by WHO and has been implemented in more than 70 countries so far.

As these interventions have been successful, the Prime Minister has called on the Member States of the World Health Organization to intensify their efforts to achieve health for all by the year 2000 by developing strategies for health. health system reform and development in line with the objectives of the World Health Organization.

"Affordable health care remains a key element for a prosperous world. However, implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being is still on the agenda. We must learn from each other, forge partnerships and move forward in the discussion if we are to make this vital commitment a reality. I am pleased that Bahrain has made progress that is becoming a global benchmark. As a community of nations, we can achieve health care for all and leave no one behind if we work together, "said the Prime Minister.