Qatar supports and has contributed to efforts in combating Covid-19: Minister

Doha: Qatar has allocated $20 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and signed a $10 million core contribution agreement with WHO to support WHO's Thirteenth General Program of Work (GPW13) and the initiative of accelerating the access to COVID-19 tools in countries most in need, Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari said in a speech at the World health Assembly.

“Qatar welcomes the decisions and recommendations of the Independent Panel for pandemic preparedness and response to ensure the implantation of the necessary changes and measures and avoid future crises, she added.

The World Health Assembly yesterday elected Minister of Public Health as Vice-President of the 74th session of the World Health Assembly.

“Qatar has developed a comprehensive strategy to protect its population from the COVID-19 risk and Qatar's National Covid-19 Vaccination Program is proceeding at an accelerated pace, and well over 50% of Qatar's adult population have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” Minister said in the speech.

Other significant point from Minister’s speech:

Scientists in Qatar have contributed extensively to a better understanding of the pandemic at the international level. Several scientific research on the effectiveness of the vaccine against variants and the duration of the immunization have been carried out and published in prestigious international journals.

Qatar has implemented several innovative decisions in the control of the epidemic in anticipation of international practices and protocols such as the isolation duration for the affected cases, the time-based criteria for the release from isolation and the use of the viral load to guide the management of cases.

Health security is a joint responsibility, and diligence is essential to achieving the goals of sustainable development. 

Calling on the WHO and the international community to support the health emergency in Palestine so that Palestinians can receive the needed health services and provide them with the necessary aids and supplies.