Oman Achieves Health Progress throughout its EB Membership
Oman Achieves Health Progress throughout its EB Membership
05 February 2023
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.
The Sultanate of Oman takes part in this meeting with a delegation led by H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Ali al-Sabti, Minister of Health.
The 152nd EB meeting highlighted a number of health topics. Throughout the meeting, Oman presents (12) speeches as a Member of the WHO, as well as a representative of the Eastern Mediterranean Region in the WHO WB.
Over the years of membership in the WHO Executive Board (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.
In addition, the Sultanate of Oman completes the WHO's efforts to achieve the Triple Billion Targets by 2025, launched in 2019. The Targets are One billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage, One billion more people better protected from health emergencies, and One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being.
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.
