With Participation of Sultanate of Oman, WHO Executive Board Meeting Concluded
8/2/2023
The 152nd session of the Executive Board (EB) of the World Health Organization (WHO), in which the Sultanate of Oman took part with a delegation led by H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, Minister of Health, concluded yesterday (Tuesday) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Throughout the meeting, Oman delivered (12) speeches as a State Member of the WHO, as well as a representative of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the WHO Executive Board.
H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, Minister of Health, returned to the Sultanate of Oman this morning (Wednesday) after participating in the 152nd session of the WHO Executive Board.
After three-year terms of leading and active role in the Executive Board (EB) of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Sultanate of Oman's membership came to an end during the 152nd EB meeting in Geneva.
Over the years of membership in the WHO EB, Oman has played a vital role at the regional and global levels. It firmly supported the WHO's initiatives, programs, and strategies to achieve universal health coverage for all countries fairly and equally.
During its membership, the Sultanate of Oman has made significant health achievements by adopting and participating in several global health initiatives, such as the "Health as a Bridge for Peace" Initiative, which was suggested by Oman and the Swiss Confederation and agreed by the WHO EB.
Furthermore, the Sultanate of Oman proposed the Global Strategy on Prevention & Control of Non-Communicable Diseases in the health sector and long-term care settings. The Strategy draft is currently in the final procedures for approval.
The Sultanate of Oman was one of the countries supporting the development of International Health Regulations in line with the preparedness and response to emergency and global health pandemics to enable the WHO Member States to deal with them effectively and reduce their health, social and economic impacts on governments and peoples.
On the other hand, Oman was selected to be a Jury member in the United Arab Emirates Health Foundation Prize and WHO for Health, carried out on the sidelines of the meeting.
With regard to antimicrobial resistance, the Sultanate of Oman successfully hosted the 3rd Global High-level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) late last year. The Conference was concluded with the issuance of the Muscat Ministerial Declaration on accelerating "One Health" procedures on AMR to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals.
Moreover, in September 2022, Oman was awarded certification for validating the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis as the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
Oman adopted the efforts taken to reform the WHO and promotes the Organization's health role worldwide. Oman supported the WHO proposal to strengthen financial resources in order to enable the WHO to move forward with its programs, initiatives, strategies, and plans to serve health globally.
The Sultanate of Oman develops its well-reasoned health policies from the local realities and global health variables with the guidance of the WHO. According to local and global health statistics and indicators, Oman has achieved positive outcomes at the current Millennium Development Goals.
