Day Two Morning: Wednesday, 12 May 2004

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GCC-ME Summit II:
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Plenary Session: An Overview of Healthcare in the Region

When we speak of the Middle East, we refer to countries comprising some 275 million people. These countries stretch from the Atlantic to the Persian Gulf. It is an heterogeneous mix, bound together by language, history, geography and religion. The heterogeneity is even more evident in the economic conditions prevailing amongst this group, as well as in health indicators.

The demographic transition that has become a reality in most of the Western World has lagged behind here, due in part to spectacular population growth. There has also been a mixed epidemiological or morbidity transition, whereby infectious diseases - diseases of developing countries - coexist with the morbidity and mortality patterns of developed societies, including chronic disorders. The transition will continue into the coming decades with increased communications, travel and television as well as mounting incidence of HIV, STD, drug abuse, alcoholism and other serious public health concerns.

The political instability of the region has also given birth to economic hardship and unhealthy lifestyles. While quality of life indices have improved in most regions of the world, it is feared by many that these indicators have just barely improved, if not worsened, in the Middle East. This is confirmed by documented increases in smoking, environmental pollution, obesity and non-communicable diseases.

What can be done to reverse this decline? This session will offer an overview of the current state of healthcare in the region while examining case studies of success.