WHO declares Doha and Al Rayyan as ‘healthy cities’

Doha

WHO has awarded Doha and Al Rayyan municipalities as "Healthy Cities" and Qatar Foundation's Education City as "Healthy Education City". The awarding ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani and was organized by the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with Ministry of Municipality and Qatar Foundation in Msheireb Downtown.

The ceremony was attended by H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of the Qatar Foundation, H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, H E Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Municipality, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in addition to officials of the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Municipality, Qatar Foundation, WHO, ministries, and partner entities.

The "Healthy City" initiative aims to improve the health of populations by promoting health and wellbeing, empowerment and equity among residents and preventing the main causes of diseases through incorporating health in all policies, which fosters cooperation and partnership across sectors and with the community.

The “Healthy Education City” award is part of the “Health-Promoting Universities” program and the Healthy City program. This award reflects QF’s dedication to promoting health and wellbeing, as well as its commitment to supporting members of the community to reach their full potential.

H E Sheikha Hind said: "Improving people's health and wellbeing within our cities and communities requires shared commitment and action from many stakeholders, including Qatar Foundation. "Collaborative work of this kind has been instrumental in the World Health Organization granting two municipalities in Qatar the status of a 'Healthy City', and we look forward to contributing to further efforts to make our cities healthier places in which to work learn, and live.”

H E Dr Al Kuwari said: "The adoption of the Healthy City initiative affirms Qatar's commitment to achieving universal health. We aim to promote physical and mental health for all members of our population through our health strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030. We have developed strong partnerships by bringing together policymakers, researchers, academics and leaders from different sectors and industries through the development of a 'Healthy City Network', to facilitate joint work and collaborations aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of our population."

"Receiving the WHO Healthy City accreditation for Doha and Al-Rayan municipalities, as well as the recognition of Education City as 'Healthy Education City' is a reflection of the efforts across government and key stakeholders towards prioritizing the health and well-being of the population of Qatar. It is also a commitment to continue to push the health agenda forward. This is the first step in our Healthy City accreditation journey and we are committed to achieving this accreditation for all eight municipalities," Her Excellency added.

Qatar aims at getting all the eight municipalities awarded as "Healthy Cities" by the WHO to provide sustainable and healthier options for the whole population.