WELCOME ADDRESS

Your Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen:  

It is my pleasure to welcome you in Qatar, one of the most quiet and peaceful places on earth. I do hope that you have a pleasant stay in our country and enjoy our present lovely weather. A year ago, my colleagues, the Ministers of Health of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member States, honored me with the task of preparing for this First GCC Cardiovascular Conference. It was a dream that became a reality with the help of the Organizing Committee, the Scientific Committee and Administrative staff of Hamad Medical Corporation.
 One of the main goals of this symposium is to provide an opportunity for Gulf cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons to meet, to get to know each other, exchange scientific ideas and build bridges of cooperation for the good and well-being of our people. The Ministers Of Health of the GCC States established a Cardiovascular Committee from member States:
 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The committee's task was not only to help in the preparation for this symposium but also to study the local causes of cardiovascular diseases and establish foundations for monitoring and preventing the disease in the GCC States. In the Arab Gulf, the incidence of coronary artery disease is rising.
 Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. In Qatar, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 38% of our overall mortality in 2001. 
This is because of predominance of the known risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and unhealthy life style. 
In the Arabic version of my speech, I mentioned that even though our fathers in the Gulf did not have modern medical facilities, they lived a healthier lifestyle before the oil era. They did not have cars or airconditioning.
 They did not need someone to advise them to exercise because they were active – walking, fishing, pearl diving, etc. 
Their diet was mainly fish, local vegetables, and dates. Most people could not afford eating meat. They did not have junk food, fast food restaurants, and numerous sweets and chocolates. Even though they lived a harsh life, their lifestyle was healthier. This conference will discuss some of the risk factors in the Gulf States and ways to control them. New methods of diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease will be addressed. Finally, I would like to thank our distinguished guests for accepting our invitation to participate in this meeting, the Organizing Committee and Scientific Committee for their great efforts in preparing for this conference, and the GCC Cardiovascular Committee for their help and suggestions.

                                                       Hajar Ahmed Hajar Al Binali, MD, FACC 
                                                       Chairman, First GCC Cardiovascular Conference 
                                                       Minister of Public Health, State of Qatar