MOPH Organizes Workshop to Develop 2023-27 Qatar National Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan

MoPH Qatar

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), organized Sunday a workshop aimed at developing the 2023-27 Qatar National Nutrition and Physical Activity Action Plan.

The workshop is part of the MOPH's relentless efforts to raise healthcare awareness and promote healthy lifestyles for all society segments in the State of Qatar.

This corresponds to the Qatar National Vision 2030 and achieves the objectives of the 2018-2022 National Health Strategy and the 2017-22 Public Health Strategy. Also, it resumes the success of the 2017-22 QNNPAAP that aimed to improve the nutrition of mothers and babies, promoting healthy diets and physical fitness exercises to reduce mortalities due to non-communicable diseases.

Addressing the workshop, Acting Manager of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Salah Al Yafei highlighted the importance of working to coordinate policies across all sectors as one of Qatar National Nutrition and Physical Activity Action Plan's main objectives. He stressed the need to strengthen cooperation to upgrade the 2023-27 future plan to reach a comprehensive multi-sectoral plan to achieve global, regional and national goals to reduce morbidity and mortality related to chronic diseases through healthy diets and increasing physical activity for the population in the State of Qatar.

MOPH representatives and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (ROEM) team reviewed global and regional strategies for nutrition and physical activity, local initiatives aimed at reducing the level of obesity and increasing the rate of physical activity in the State of Qatar, and priority interventions related to nutrition and physical activity.

The workshop saw participation from representatives of the nutrition and physical activity team at the WHO Headquarters, consultants at the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and several national health strategy priorities leaders. Also among the participants were officials representing ministries of MOPH, Education and Higher Education, Municipality and Environment and Sports and Youth as well as from the Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation, Sidra Medicine, Aspetar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar Energy, Qatar University, Northwestern University, Qatar Diabetes Association, Qatar Cancer Society, Generation Amazing Foundation, 3-2 1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, in addition to the members of the national committee for nutrition and physical activity, who have played a major role in implementing the national action plan over the past years.

Based on the discussions and recommendations of the workshop, the new 2023-27 Qatar National Nutrition and Physical Activity Action Plan will be completed in a bid to achieve international, regional and local goals related to promoting healthy nutrition and increasing physical activity rates.

(QNA)