Oman, Cuba sign MoC in health fields
GENEVA: The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Cuba signed, in Geneva, a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) in the fields of health and medical sciences. The MoC seeks to enhance cooperation, exchange expertise and ameliorate health systems in both countries. The MoC will contribute to the utilisation of capabilities and opportunities in a tangible and comprehensive manner.
The MoC was signed by Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, and Dr José Angel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba.
The memorandum of cooperation provides for exchanging medical personnel, conducting specialised training programmes and holding joint research in the fields of medicine and health sciences.
The MoC was signed on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly, currently being held at the headquarters of World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. - ONA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
4 days ago
- Muscat Daily
MoH tightens rules on promotion, marketing of drugs in Oman
Muscat – Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced new regulations for advertising and promoting medicines aimed at safeguarding public health and ensuring ethical marketing practices in the pharmaceutical sector. Issued by H E Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, Ministerial Decision No 135/2025 outlines procedures and conditions that pharmaceutical firms, agents and consultants must follow before promoting any medicinal product in Oman. The decision was issued on May 29 and will come into effect from today. Under the new rules, only licensed pharmaceutical companies, authorised local agents and approved pharmaceutical consulting offices can advertise medicines. All advertising must be pre-approved by the Drug Safety Centre. To be eligible for a licence, the product must be registered, and the advertising content must match the approved drug leaflet and summary of product characteristics. It must clearly define the target audience and avoid any wording that could mislead consumers, exaggerate benefits, harm public health or breach public morals. 'The objective is to protect consumers from misleading information and to ensure that advertisements remain factual and within the ethical boundaries of public health,' a ministry official said. Applicants must submit a copy of the advertisement, the drug's registration certificate, proof of fee payment and any other documents requested by the centre. The Drug Safety Centre is mandated to respond within 60 days. No response within that timeframe implies rejection. If an application is found incomplete, the applicant will be given 30 days to address shortcomings. Failure to do so within that period will result in application cancellation. Licences are valid for three months and may be renewed for similar periods. Renewal requests must be submitted at least 20 days before licence expiry and will be assessed under the same terms. Advertisers must include the licence number in all materials and documentation, use only approved formats and obtain prior approval for any change. Advertising prescription-only medicines is restricted to scientific publications or at conferences and professional meetings attended by pharmacists and healthcare workers.
Muscat Daily
4 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Turkey sees sharp rise in obesity
Istanbul, Turkey – Worldwide, over one billion people are living with obesity. It's become such a serious issue that the World Health Organization has called it an 'epidemic'. According to a 2022 WHO report, Turkey ranks first in Europe for rates of overweight and obesity, with 66.8% of people affected. Turkey is also one of the world's high-income nations that is experiencing the sharpest rise in obesity. By 2030, it's estimated that 27mn people in Turkey – or one in three – will be obese. Health and social experts attribute this trend to insufficient nutrition, social inequality, unhealthy food supplies and a lack of coherent policy strategies. Studies indicate that one in five children in Turkey suffers from malnutrition, at least 10% of whom are overweight or obese. 'Poverty is the problem' For years, Turkey has faced high food price inflation, reducing citizens' purchasing power. Hacer Foggo, a Turkish poverty researcher and activist, said the growing number of obese children can be linked to extreme poverty. 'Malnutrition can stunt growth and lead to obesity,' she said, pointing to a 2022 study by the Turkish Statistical Institute showing that 62.4% of children in Turkey predominantly eat bread and pasta. These findings, she added, have not been taken seriously enough. Bulent Sik, a food researcher, sees a direct link between the rise in child obesity and the widespread consumption of highly processed foods with low nutritional value and a high sugar content. 'The increasing consumption of cheap, easily accessible snacks and sugary soft drinks is directly tied to the rise in obesity,' he said. As long as the manufacturing of these products is not regulated, he added, most political measures remain merely symbolic. Sik also warned of another risk: the use of toxic chemicals in food production, such as pesticides and certain additives that are related to hormonal imbalances and weight gain. 'Some of these toxic substances have a negative impact on hormone systems,' he explained, 'which poses a serious threat, especially for growing children'. He cited a study by Greenpeace Turkey showing that one-third of produce sold in Istanbul contained pesticide residues that can disrupt hormones, impede neurological development and potentially cause cancer. Despite these findings, Sik said, government food oversight policies still focus primarily on calorie counting. National campaign Turkey's Health Ministry has launched a national public health campaign to combat obesity, setting up stations in busy public areas and at event venues to measure citizens' height, weight and body mass index, or BMI. The aim is to identify overweight individuals and refer them to health centres or general practitioners, where they can receive support from nutritional advisers. The ministry hopes its campaign, launched in mid-May, will reach 10mn citizens within two months and help raise awareness about the dangers of obesity while promoting a healthy lifestyle. But the effort has drawn criticism for stigmatising overweight individuals and overlooking the country's broader economic struggles. Healthy foods often expensive Experts say the state has not issued adequate guidelines for healthy eating or restricted the marketing of unhealthy foods. This lack of regulation is putting children and low-income communities at particular risk. 'Political decision-makers are responsible for creating solutions,' said Sik. Healthy and fresh foods are often more expensive and largely inaccessible to low-income households, leading to a nutritional imbalance. This contributes to obesity, growth disorders and iron deficiency in children. Both Sik and Foggo support a nationwide free school meal programme. Foggo criticised the government for failing to act, despite repeated calls. 'In the parliament's protocols, you can see that the Health Ministry has recognised the problem and sees that school meals are the solution. But not a single step has been taken,' she said. Turkey is also facing a shortage of professionals in the field. According to the health and social workers' union Saglik Sen, the number of dietitians working in public hospitals has dropped by nearly 20% over the past five years. DW
Muscat Daily
5 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Region has highest youth smoking rate in the world: WHO
Cairo, Egypt – The Eastern Mediterranean Region has the highest youth smoking rate in the world, according to World Health Organization Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy. 'We must act to protect the next generation. Let us stand together and make it crystal clear. No more tricks. No more traps. Let's unite for a tobacco-free future,' she said on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2025, held on Saturday under the banner 'Bright Products. Dark Intentions'. This year's theme sheds light on the tobacco industry's tactics to lure women and young people into addiction through flavoured and colourful products. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death globally, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region bearing a significant burden. The region has the highest smoking rates among adolescent boys, with countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt ranking among the highest globally. The promotion of new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, has led to higher dependency rates among vulnerable groups, WHO stated. Globally, 37mn children aged 13–15 years use tobacco. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, smoking rates in some areas have reached 43% among adolescent boys (aged 13–15 years) and 20% among adolescent girls. The highest prevalence of tobacco use among boys is recorded in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank) at 43.3%, followed by Jordan at 33.9% and Syria at 31.6%. Alarmingly, the gap in tobacco use between men and women is narrowing, with more women and girls taking up smoking, exposing them to health risks such as cervical cancer, osteoporosis and fertility issues.
