Mauritania Participates in 54th Session of Arab Health Ministers Council

The Minister of Health, Mr. Mohamed Nedhirou Ould Hamed, participated, Monday via videoconference in the 54th session of the Council of Arab Health Ministers, which is currently being held in Cairo, in the Arab Republic of Egypt. Speaking on the occasion, the minister explained that this session is being held under exceptional circumstances due to the global health situation. He added that Mauritania will adopt a positive attitude towards the technical recommendations of the session within the framework of its proposed agenda. Mr. Mohamed Nedhirou Ould Hamed also thanked the Kingdom of Bahrain for the perfect organization of the 53rd session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health, and the careful follow-up of its recommendations. Likewise, he congratulated the Tunisian Minister of Health for chairing the work of the current session. Regarding COVID-19, the minister reviewed the measures taken by Mauritania as soon as the pandemic appeared in 2019, as part of a multidimensional response plan. He added that this response, based on strengthening the health system and mobilizing human and financial resources, has reduced the consequences of the pandemic. “An inter-ministerial committee, headed by the Prime Minister, has been set up for the development, execution, and monitoring of the national strategy to fight the pandemic, and the mitigation of its socioeconomic consequences, especially for the deprived groups. On the economic front, the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, initiated in 2020 an economic recovery program to make economic sectors more resilient to emergencies whatever their nature or origin. This was done to deal with a number of 17,424 confirmed cases of coronavirus contamination, including 16,762 recoveries, while the loss of human life amounted to 443”, as he put it. Regarding vaccination, the minister said that his department is currently working to put in place a vaccination plan as part of the global COVAX partnership, calling for the adoption of the session's program.