Minister of Health Delivers Statement

Cairo, October 11, SPA -- Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manea, the
Minister of Health and Chairman of Saudi delegation to the meetings
of the 55 th session of Regional Committee for Eastern Mediterranean,
emphasized the importance of the four-day meetings, which began
earlier today.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on the sidelines of his
participation in the meetings, Al-Manea said that the meetings are
very important for several reasons including that the world is
currently undergoing a severe financial crisis which could have
implications in health services in addition to a qualitative leap at
the level of disease, indicating that there are a number of important
issues to be raised at the meetings.

He pointed out that a meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Council
of Arab Ministers of Health currently chaired by Saudi Arabia will be
held to submit many issues to the leaders of Arab countries,
including the spread of diabetes, which began to grow throughout many
countries of the world, particularly in the Arab and Islamic states,
in addition to the quality of health services In the Arab world.