The State of Libya hosted the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health and its Executive Bureau in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on 18 December, with the participation of a number of Arab Ministers of Health, ambassadors of member states, and heads of Arab delegations.
The Executive Bureau of the Council convened on the morning of 18 December under the chairmanship of His Excellency Professor Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population of the Arab Republic of Egypt, with the membership of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Iraq, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Union of the Comoros, and the State of Libya as an observer. The Bureau examined and approved the draft agenda for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Council and prepared draft resolutions related to the items included on its agenda.
The Council subsequently convened under the chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Al-Ghuj, Acting Undersecretary of the Libyan Ministry of Health, tasked with the duties of Minister of Health, and in the presence of Their Excellencies the Ministers of Health and heads of delegations of the member states. The opening session featured an address by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Libya, Eng. Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, as well as statements by His Excellency Dr. Saleh Mehdi Al-Hassnawi, Minister of Health of the Republic of Iraq and Chair of the previous session of the Council; His Excellency the Minister of Health of the State of Libya and Chair of the current session; His Excellency Professor Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Chair of the Executive Bureau; and a statement on behalf of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States delivered by Ms. Maysaa Hadmi, Adviser and Director of the Health and Humanitarian Aid Department, and Technical Secretariat Officer of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health. The opening session also included a recorded address by Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director of the World Health Organisation for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The opening session also witnessed the presentation of the Arab Physician Award, which was conferred upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as the Nursing and Midwifery Award, awarded to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Morocco, in recognition and appreciation of the noble humanitarian and scientific efforts undertaken by Arab physicians and nurses.
The session also featured presentations highlighting the exchange of successful and pioneering Arab experiences in the health sector—one of the most important themes reflecting the spirit of cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and the dissemination of success stories among Arab states to strengthen health systems. The State of Libya delivered a presentation on the “Health Information and Documentation Centre of the Ministry of Health and its role in developing the health information system through regional health information systems.” The Arab Republic of Egypt presented an overview of Egypt’s pathway towards the elimination of hepatitis C and its attainment of the Gold Certification for being free of the hepatitis C virus, as the first country worldwide to achieve this distinction. The Republic of Tunisia presented its experience with “electronic vaccination,” while the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria delivered a presentation on “Algeria’s pioneering experience in combating drug abuse.” These successful and leading experiences were approved for presentation at the 65th Ordinary Session.
The Council discussed a number of key health-related issues, foremost among them support for the health system in the State of Palestine, including the urgent provision of field hospitals to Palestine.
In addition, the Council approved the Arab Strategy for the Development of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine for the period 2026–2030, supported the preparation of the Arab Strategy to Enhance the Role of Migrant Arab Health Professionals in supporting health sectors, and followed up on the implementation of the Arab Strategy for Access to Public Health Services in the Context of Refugees and Displacement in the Arab Region. The Council also addressed the establishment of a regional Arab centre for applied epidemiology, updates on preparations for the work of the Arab Committee for Emergency Preparedness and Response, and the unification of Arab efforts to combat drug abuse.
Furthermore, the Council discussed the decision of the Arab Development Summit regarding investment in human resources for health, and the decision of the Economic and Social Council on strengthening the right to family planning in Arab countries, including an analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with declining fertility rates. It also addressed the organisation of the First Arab Ministerial Forum on Health and Environment, scheduled to be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2026, reviewed reports of the Arab Authority for Blood Transfusion Services, the Arab Board of Health Specialisations, and the Arab Centre for the Authorship and Translation of Health Sciences, examined the draft unified statement of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health to be delivered before the 79th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2026 by Her Excellency the Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and reviewed the financial status of the Arab Fund for Health Development.
