Doha, Qatar: Significant improvements in women’s, children’s and adolescents’ healthcare have been observed in the country over the years, due to the successful implementation of the National Health Strategy 2018-2022.
The Strategy has significantly enhanced public health and achieved sustainable accomplishments, and it has emphasised maternal health through the ‘Healthy Women leading to Healthy Pregnancies’ priority area and paediatric health through the “Healthy Children and Adolescents” priority area.
Dr. Najat Khenyab, the National Lead for the ‘Healthy Women Leading to Healthy Pregnancies’ priority, has spotlighted significant progress in this crucial area. She emphasised that midwifery-led services have made notable strides within the public health sector, particularly through advancements in antenatal care and the enhancement of postpartum home care programmes.
In a video message on the Ministry of Public Health’s X platform, Dr. Khenyab highlighted that the National Health Strategy 2018-2022 has increased the percentage of women receiving midwifery care at various stages of pregnancy. The strategy has also established policies and standards for midwifery services to protect the public and uphold the integrity of the midwifery profession.
Additionally, it has developed national clinical guidelines and non-clinical interventions aimed at promoting natural births and reducing the rate of caesarean sections.
She also mentioned that the strategy has paved the way for developing national guidelines for assisted reproductive treatment services, as well as for conducting expert reviews of the clinical content of a related draft law.
“Driven by the strategy’s vision Our Health, our Future we continue to work diligently to improve the health of the mothers and their babies and to promote the health of families and the community,” said Dr. Khenyab. Through the priority area of Child and Adolescent Health in the second National Health Strategy, health authorities have worked to provide a healthy environment for children and adolescents and promote healthily lifestyles.
Dr. Sadriya Al Kohji, National Lead for ‘Healthy Children and Adolescents,’ has highlighted the key achievements priority area.
She highlighted that the programmes have achieved significant objectives such as reducing the proportion of dental caries among children by 5% and increasing the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life by 10%.
“As part of the strategy, we have also developed the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, the National Breastfeeding Policy, the National Childhood Obesity Policy, the National School Health Policy, and the National Childcare Guidelines,” she added. “Based on the vision of the strategy, our work continues for constant improvement to provide healthier and improved lives for children, adolescents and the entire population,” said Dr. Al Kohji.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in a statement earlier said that the Second National Health Strategy 2018-2022 has successfully accomplished over 90 percent of its outcomes and played a crucial role in the ongoing sustainable development and improvement of healthcare in Qatar, aiming to enhance the health of the Qatari community. The announcement comes as the Ministry is gearing up to launch the Third National Health Strategy 2024-2030.
