CAIRO — 11 NOVEMBER 2026
An outbreak of infection is not restrained by borders, and neither should be the response to it. This idea has determined the topics discussed at the 65th session of Arab Health Ministers Council and its Executive Bureau, with Qatar participating in the regional debate in Cairo on 10 November 2026. The aim of this forum is to develop national health systems in such a way that they would be ready for any emergencies that may evolve into regional crises.
Qatar’s delegation was headed by Dr Ghanim Ali Al Mannai, the Assistant Undersecretary of Healthcare Regulation in the Ministry of Public Health. The conference focused on the acute health and humanitarian issues in Palestine, Sudan and Yemen, which are now in the center of regional attention.
One of the most important proposals being discussed was the establishment of an Arab Regional Centre for Applied Epidemiology. If established, the center would support disease surveillance efforts and enhance capabilities to detect public health threats and coordinate subsequent preventive measures. The idea was discussed during the meeting but it should be taken only as a proposal and not an official announcement about the creation of the aforementioned center.
Another decision taken by the council was the adoption of the Arab strategy for 2026–2030 focusing on better utilization of Arab health personnel working abroad to support health systems in the region. The proposal aims at using the knowledge of the Palestinian physicians and other medical personnel who left their homelands to work abroad. Moreover, the ministers supported release of 200,000 dollars in emergency assistance for Palestine as reported by the Emirates News Agency.
The agenda was more complex than just an urgent matter of current concern to the Ministers. The participants studied the Arab approach aimed at enhancing the health situation of mothers and children and considered the impact of climate change on the health of mothers and adolescents. The council examined 17 items on the agenda and decided on the theme of Arab Health Day 2027: “Health in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Innovation.”
The meeting in Cairo followed the expertise of the Technical Advisory Committee, which held its 19th meeting via a video conference on 19 October 2026 before the November meeting.
As for Qatar, being a part of the Arab Health Ministers Council meeting can be seen as an opportunity for its health officials to get involved into the larger Arab initiative on coping with the problems of common vulnerability that include the problems with diagnosis and the shortage of personnel, as well as with humanitarian crises. The assessment of the meeting will be based on the actual implementation of its decisions, resources and plans proposed during the meeting.
