QNA
The launch of the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2018-2022 is another important step in health system development in Qatar, as it focuses on providing more comprehensive services. The strategy has three general objectives to achieve: better health, better care and better value for all, while focusing on the most needy groups such as children, mothers, the elderly and people with special needs.
The 2018-2022 strategy, which was launched Saturday under the theme “Our Health Our Future”, reflects shift in thinking by focusing on the seven priority population groups: healthy children and adolescents, healthy women leading to healthy pregnancies, healthy and safe employees, mental health and well-being, improved health for people with multiple chronic conditions, health and well-being for people with special needs, and healthy aging.
The new strategy identified 19 national goals against which progress will be measured, including specific goals to promote physical activity among adolescents, to initiate workplace welfare programs, and to offer improved access to mental health services.
The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Minister of Public Health H E Dr Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari during the inauguration ceremony of the National Health Strategy (2018-2022) yesterday at QNCC.
The vision of the National Health Strategy 2018-2022 is to put this strategy into practice by meeting the needs of the current generation and providing more integrated care, from the focus on the disease to a focus on individuals and the health of the population, from brief and transient care to the integration and continuity of care, along with a great focus on primary health care.
The strategy focuses on five areas of the health system to ensure an integrated system for high-quality health care and services. Its targets by 2022 include reducing the overall rate of death which can be avoided by 5%, and reducing the rate of hospitalisation for sensitive primary care cases which can be prevented by 15%.
One of the five areas is health promotion and disease prevention, and its goal by 2022 is to reduce the rate of obesity among children, adolescents and adults by 5% and to reduce the prevalence of smoking by 30%.
With regard to the promotion of health protection, the national goal by 2022 is to implement high-speed systems to ensure compliance with the international health regulations for control and response, including support for preparedness during major events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
With regard to the promotion of health protection, health care will be integrated into all policies. By the end of this year, Qatar will begin to develop a strategy and action plan to integrate health into all policies to adopt and support the health cities approach in preparation for the 2022 World Cup.
In leadership and governance field, the strategy will focus on improving the quality of care and patient safety, providing a sufficient and capable workforce, and establishing a dynamic mechanism in the Ministry of Public Health to periodically measure the required capacities compared with those available in the health sector to plan and achieve multiple goals and promote comprehensive health coverage in line with international practices.
