Doha: Under the theme "Health for All," Qatar is advancing toward 2030 with a commitment to delivering world-class healthcare to all its residents. This initiative marks a significant phase in Qatar's journey toward realizing its National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030), which focuses on ensuring long, healthy lives for both current and future generations.
According to Kuwait News Agency, by the end of 2024, all public health sector institutions, including the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, and the Primary Health Care Corporation, had launched their respective health strategies for 2024-2030. These strategies aim to meet the healthcare needs of the population according to the highest standards, while also achieving excellence and ensuring that Qatar enjoys the highest possible quality of life.
Through its Third National Health Strategy, Qatar is working to achieve several key healthcare goals, including increasing life expectancy to 82.6 years, reducing mortality from non-communicable diseases by 36 percent, lowering the infant mortality rate to 2 per 1,000 live births, and increasing the proportion of people engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Huda Al-Katheeri, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance Department at the Ministry of Public Health, stated that the strategy builds on previous successes and aligns with health priorities outlined in the National Development Strategy 2024-2030.
The National Health Strategy 2024-2030 aims to improve individuals' health by focusing on physical, psychological, and social aspects, creating an environment where the community actively participates in achieving health and well-being goals. Al-Katheeri emphasized that the strategy relies on an integrated approach to achieve the highest clinical standards while ensuring the sustainability of financial and environmental resources for future generations.
The strategy also focuses on increasing local research, adopting innovative solutions, reducing non-communicable diseases, standardizing patient pathways, digitizing the healthcare system, and establishing transition centers. These centers are crucial for rehabilitating patients and assisting them in transitioning from hospital care to home or community care, enhancing recovery and quality of life.
Al-Katheeri explained that the strategy aims to transform the healthcare system by raising health awareness, empowering individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, and promoting disease prevention and early detection. The strategy also emphasizes integrating public health into various national policies to ensure a holistic approach across different sectors.
In terms of healthcare services, the strategy prioritizes excellence in care and improving patient experiences through integrated care models. Improving the quality of primary and community care, expanding hospital and specialized center services, and ensuring efficient access to advanced healthcare services are key objectives.
The strategy places special emphasis on developing governance systems and enhancing transparency in healthcare management. It adopts a health financing model that ensures service sustainability and aims for a digital transformation to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. Additionally, the strategy focuses on developing a unified database to support evidence-based decision-making.
Al-Katheeri noted that the strategy includes 53 key initiatives, such as promoting health literacy, expanding screening and early detection programs, and improving long-term care services. The initiatives also address different population groups, such as children, adolescents, the elderly, people with special needs, and workers.
The launch of these health strategies and their supporting plans comes at a time of significant achievements in Qatar's health sector, including the expansion of public health facilities and the recent milestone of the country's first successful heart transplant. The strategy reflects Qatar's ongoing commitment to improving healthcare quality and ensuring a better life for all residents.