Health Minister, Faeqa bint Said Al-Saleh, chaired here today the fifth emergency meeting of the health ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), requested by GCC Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf.
 
The meeting discussed the latest developments of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and the steps taken by GCC countries to confront the pandemic.
 
During the opening session, the Health Minister, the Chairperson of the current session, delivered a statement in which she conveyed the greetings of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the participants, as well as HRH’s wishes of success for the meeting.
 
Al-Saleh extended congratulations to the participants on the 40th anniversary of the GCC, wishing the GCC further success in developing its work mechanisms and enhancing its joint action.
 
She paid tribute to the GCC Secretariat-General and the GCC Health Ministers’ Council for the tremendous efforts they are exerting to improve the health services at GCC countries, praising the member states’ successful efforts to combat the pandemic, which contributed significantly to protecting the health of their citizens and residents.
 
The fifth emergency meeting reviewed the current health situation in the member states, the outcomes of the work of the undersecretaries’ committee on the travel procedures for immunised citizens within the GCC, the GCC guide for COVID-19 vaccine uses and a study on the gene sequence of COVID-19 variants.
 
The emergency meeting issued a communiqué including its resolutions, and recommendations to continue efforts to confront the pandemic.
 
Minister Al-Saleh commended the efforts of GCC Secretary-General, and praised the keenness of GCC health ministers to continue their endeavours to deal with the pandemic and ensure that the citizens and residents enjoy high quality health services.