In the presence of Her Excellency Dr. Jalila bint Al-Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health, Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Hassan Balkhi, Regional Director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, met with several officials and representatives of national teams and committees to enhance cooperation in public health fields and national priorities.

During the meeting, the Minister of Health emphasized the importance of adopting a multisectoral approach in formulating policies and strategies related to public health, enhancing partnerships with various national and international entities to support the implementation of health programs, and investing in strengthening the capacities of health cadres to contribute to improving the efficiency of the health system in the Kingdom of Bahrain and achieving sustainable development goals in the health field.

The National Non-Communicable Diseases Team reviewed its efforts in preventing chronic diseases and monitoring related strategic plans, while the National Communicable Diseases Team focused on enhancing the epidemiological surveillance system and rapid response. The One Health Approach Committee highlighted coordination among all relevant sectors to prevent shared health risks. Efforts by the National Committee for Tobacco and Smoking Control and the National Committee for Combating Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were also discussed, reviewing key initiatives and programs and ways to enhance cooperation with the World Health Organization to contribute to prevention, awareness, and expanding services for targeted groups. In this context, Dr. Balkhi pointed out that the national teams and committees represent an advanced model of joint work adopted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in developing the health sector with a comprehensive and integrated perspective, thanks to their institutional commitment and advanced administrative organization.

The Minister of Health expressed her thanks and appreciation to Dr. Balkhi for her fruitful visit, confirming that these meetings represent an important step towards strengthening the strategic partnership with the World Health Organization and accelerating the pace of work on priority health projects.