Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Committee and Director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI), Professor Abdul Badi Abou Samra
Doha, Qatar: The recently launched National Action Plan on Obesity, Diabetes, and Modifiable Risk Factors for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) 2024-2030 aims to simultaneously address risk factor prevention, management, and public empowerment initiatives, with involvement from multiple stakeholders, said a senior official.
Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Committee and Director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI), Professor Abdul Badi Abou Samra, speaking to The Peninsula, said the initiative aligns with the National Health Strategy 2024-2030 and marks a unified effort to improve the health outcomes.
He explained the need for, the objectives of, and the methods for implementing the National Action Plan on Obesity, Diabetes, and Modifiable Risk Factors for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) 2024-2030.
“Diabetes and obesity are significant risk factors for heart disease, and they are closely related. As a result, they require a unified action plan that addresses all of these issues together,” said Prof. Abou Samra.
For instance, he said factors like smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and being overweight are common risk factors that contribute to both obesity and diabetes, and they also increase the risk of heart disease.
“This action plan takes a comprehensive approach, aiming to address all these factors simultaneously, from prevention to management, and focusing on preventing the development of disease,” said Prof. Abou Samra.
“For instance, to prevent diabetes, we need to have a lot of empowerment and education for the public and role modeling for the public from childhood through adulthood for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
The Ministry of Public Health launched the plan during the recently concluded World Innovation Summit for Health. The National Action Plan to combat obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis sets forth an ambitious path to improve national health outcomes, aligning with the National Health Strategy 2024-2030. This is the first action plan launched after the National Health Strategy 2024-2030.
The plan under the slogan “Together to Prevent Diabetes, Obesity, and ASCVD emphasises preventive measures and encourages individuals and communities to adopt healthy lifestyles.
“In implementing the action plan, both primary and secondary care sectors are involved in disease management and prevention. However, a broader range of government sectors will also need to participate, particularly in developing policies related to nutrition. This includes measures such as taxing certain foods, implementing food labeling systems (e.g., color-coded labels), and other initiatives to help people easily recognize which foods are healthy and which are not,” said Prof. Abou Samra.
The Action Plan includes 58 projects to achieve three main objectives: prevention of obesity, diabetes, and ASCVD; optimal management of diabetes, obesity, risk factors, and complications; and empowerment of the public and healthcare professionals.
According to Prof. Abou Samra, each project will be assigned to one of the following organizations: the Primary Health Care Corporation, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Diabetes Association, or the Ministry of Public Health.
“Each institution will form a team to manage the project and will report to the national committee, which will oversee the implementation and progress of the initiatives,” he said.
“Our goal is to prevent the development of obesity, diabetes, and associated risk factors. In cases where these conditions do develop, we aim to effectively manage them and empower both patients and the public,” he added.
