Qatar participates in WHO's World Health Assembly

Doha:The State of Qatar participated in the works of the 73rd World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Minister of Public Health H E Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari represented the State of Qatar in the assembly’s meeting, which was held via video conferencing, where Her Excellency presented a report on the latest developments of the situation of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in the State of Qatar.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, opened the World Health Assembly meeting, where global efforts to tackle COVID-19 were discussed.

In her speech, H E Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari reviewed the State of Qatar efforts to confront the pandemic of COVID-19 through a work-based approach between all components of government and society.

She also highlighted actions taken in all sectors to protect members of society from the virus. H E the Minister at the meeting clarified the reasons for recording large numbers of cases infected with the virus in the State of Qatar, due largely to the extensive tests and monitoring policy pursued by the State, which allowed the discovery of a large number of positive cases.

In contrast, Qatar witnessed very few deaths among patients with COVID-19, and 94 percent of cases in Qatar show mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and 5 percent require hospitalization and only one percent enter intensive care units.

Factors contributing to the low death rate include the high proportion of young population in Qatar, the proactive screening and test program, and an effective and efficient healthcare system that diagnoses and treats patients early to reduce complications associated with the disease.

H E Dr. Al Kuwari said that despite our focus on COVID-19, patients suffering from other cases were not ignored, as the health care sector quickly transformed the way of providing health care services, as there is a set of virtual services that are provided to patients from their homes in a manner that guarantees their comfort and safety.

On the other hand, H E the Minister of Health talked about the assistance provided by the State of Qatar to many countries amid this pandemic, out of its international humanitarian role, upon the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Minister said that H H the Amir directed all concerned authorities and institutions in Qatar to provide all possible global support to the people and countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that Qatar Airways had moved about a million people from several countries to their home countries, in addition to returning thousands of passengers who were stranded due to the suspension of flights as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus through charter flights.

H E the Minister noted that Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) had provided medical assistance to more than 20 countries.