Municipality Ministry: All Qatari Municipalities Certified As "Healthy Cities" Culmination of Efforts to Improve Quality of Life

Doha, October 08 (QNA) - Assistant Undersecretary for Municipal Affairs at the Ministry of Municipality Mansour Abdullah Zaid Al Mahmoud underscored that certifying all the municipalities of the State of Qatar as "Healthy Cities" comes as a culmination of the tireless efforts made by many partners concerned with the country, to improve the quality of life. In a statement after the World Health Organization (WHO) certified all the municipalities of Qatar as "Healthy Cities," Al Mahmoud said that these efforts contributed to the achievement of this accreditation by Qatari cities, most notably the implementation of the comprehensive urban plan for the State of Qatar and the effective and directed investment in infrastructure projects in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy, and the Sustainable Strategy of the Ministry of Municipality. He pointed out that Qatari cities are characterized by the presence of multiple and interconnected utility networks, with large green spaces, the allocation of pedestrian and bicycle paths, and various means of welfare for the population, which had a significant impact on improving the health of community members, both physically and psychologically. Al Mahmoud explained that the Ministry of Municipality has worked hard within the framework of its strategic plan to raise the level of services and health and environmental conditions, in addition to activating the partnership with various community institutions, through awareness programs, activities, and health and environmental projects to build sustainable habits and create a healthy and clean society. He noted that the State of Qatar is witnessing a great renaissance at all levels and in all fields, especially the improvement of the quality of life of members of society, which made it one of the best places in the world in terms of healthy and safe living. Assistant Undersecretary for Municipal Affairs at the Ministry of Municipality expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Public Health, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean, and all parties that contributed to this achievement. For their part, the municipal directors of the Ministry of Municipality expressed happiness and pride in the approval of the accession of all Qatari cities to the "healthy cities" global network, thus the State of Qatar becomes the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean to obtain the accreditation for all of its cities. Director of Doha Municipality Mansour Ajran Al Buainain said that the city of Doha was one of the first cities in the State of Qatar to obtain the "healthy city" accreditation in February, explaining that this achievement came as a result of the efforts of all concerned parties to strengthen partnerships between various sectors in society to improve the health and well-being of the population. He stressed that Doha's obtaining this accreditation pushes it forward with its ambitions to seek more of such achievements that are consistent with the visions and aspirations of the State of Qatar in providing sustainable and healthier options for the population, striving to achieve the highest quality standards, and raising the level of projects and services provided to its residents, most notably the oversight of facilities, warehouses, and food safety, and increasing green spaces and parks in various regions. On the most prominent efforts and initiatives of the municipality that qualified it to obtain the "healthy city" accreditation, Al Buainain said that 80 indicators have been adopted, according to WHO standards to obtain the "healthy city" accreditation and the accreditation requires achieving 80 percent of the indicators, at least 64 indicators, in nine different axes, including emergency preparedness, community participation, environment, and education, and this is what the city of Doha has deservedly achieved. He pointed out that the municipality was also concerned with promoting health by developing joint institutional plans to provide a healthy environment by strengthening community partnerships and launching awareness initiatives that targeted various groups of society, raising awareness about preserving food safety, and following proper health methods in dealing with foodstuffs, in addition to its active role in monitoring facilities and ensuring the improvement of public behavior, which leads to a healthier and more prosperous city. Al Buainain added that Doha has managed urban resilience and dealt with urgent challenges since the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, as it took preventive, precautionary, and awareness measures to ensure the continuity of services and conducted periodic inspection tours of food facilities, stores, and facilities, in addition to sterilization and disinfection campaigns for vital sites in the city to ensure the healthy and safety of the population. Regarding the municipality's efforts during the coming period to promote healthy life, the Director of Doha Municipality confirmed that the municipality, since obtaining the accreditation, has been working on developing plans that enhance the health and safety of the individual and society by taking measures that protect public health to provide an ideal environment and infrastructure to support and promote the society's health and ensure that Doha remains clean, healthy and safe. For his part, the director of Al Rayyan municipality Jaber Hassan Al Jaber expressed his happiness and pride at the World Health Organization's accreditation of Qatar's municipalities, including Al Rayyan municipality, as health cities, because it represents the country's access to the ranks of developed countries in the quality of services in line with the spirit of the times and decent living. He said that this accreditation and excellence came as a result of cooperation between the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Public Health, in addition to many sectors and institutions of the State, whose positive and commendable impact has achieved a number of incentives for leadership, Al Rayyan municipality includes many vital facilities that provide health-promoting programs and services such as green spaces and sustainable vital facilities, in addition to urban transport represented by the use of bicycles, pedestrian paths and an environmentally friendly tram system. In turn, the director of Al Wakra municipality Eng. Mohammed Hassan Al Nuaimi said that Al Wakra has all the capabilities that qualified it to obtain the title of "Healthy City", as it came after proper planning and implementation of the requirements within the Qatar 2030 strategy to provide decent and healthy care for all, stressing that obtaining this title will give Al Wakra an additional credit in its record and reflects the progress achieved by the State of Qatar in providing health care and a healthy environment for society and future generations. On the most prominent efforts and initiatives of the municipality that qualified it for the title of "Healthy City", Eng. Mohammed Al Nuaimi explained that the concept of Al Wakra "Healthy City" is not limited to the health sector, but is an integrated system of standards, services and initiatives that improve the quality and lifestyle of all members of the community, from all health, social, environmental and economic aspects, including increasing green areas, providing walking tracks, preserving heritage buildings, reviving markets, the presence of complexes and others. The director of the municipality noted the visit of a delegation from the WHO regional office for the eastern Mediterranean to Al Wakra municipality to view the sustainable development file and the most prominent projects and initiatives completed by the municipality in preparation for its accreditation as a "Healthy City" in the State of Qatar, where the delegation got acquainted with the most important projects and programs implemented by Al Wakra and contributed to its receipt of the UNESCO Learning Cities Award for 2021, as one of the pillars and goals adopted by the World Health Organization within the criteria of the "Healthy City" program in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. In the same context, the director of Umm Salal municipality Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Thani said that Umm Salal's victory with the title of a "Healthy City" is an achievement that all are proud of to provide a safe, healthy and educational environment for the well-being of the municipality's residents and future generations. He pointed to the efforts of the municipality that qualified it to obtain this accreditation from the World Health Organization, including providing public facilities and parks, paying attention to their development, providing a theater for events, ensuring that the city is a good environment for the people of the region, developing commercial and private cemeteries and ensuring their health readiness in cooperation with the office of the Assistant Undersecretary for Municipal Affairs, pointing out that efforts will be continued in the coming period to improve the health and environmental aspects in all areas of Umm Salal municipality. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Thani pointed out that schools at all stages, public parks, and commercial and consumer complexes were targeted to be urged to participate in the community, as well as cooperate with the Ministry of Public Health, Primary Health Care Corporation and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Thani praised the most prominent community events and initiatives implemented by the municipality, pointing out that greater efforts will be made in the coming period to improve the health and environmental aspects in the areas of Umm Salal municipality to keep abreast of current developments locally and internationally. (MORE)