The Gulf Health Council was established in 1976 under the guidance of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It enjoys legal, financial and administrative independence, and the authority and capacity to achieve all of its objectives. Its membership is limited to GCC Member States, and also includes Yemen, which joined the Gulf Health Council in 2003. The Council works to consolidate relations between Member States, to strengthen integration and to promote the health of all citizens of Member States.
Vision
The Gulf Health Council aims to be one of the leading GCC organizations in dissemination of preventive and curative health awareness across the region.
Mission
To unite the efforts of GCC Member States to achieve a unified Gulf health strategy to provide the highest levels of health for the citizens of Member States.
Objectives
• Cooperation and coordination in the field of preventive, curative and rehabilitative health among Member States
• Spread health awareness of among GCC Member States citizens within the context of unique environmental conditions, customs, and social and Islamic traditions.
• Identify relevant health and scientific concepts and issues, and work towards unification and prioritization as well as the adoption and implementation of joint programs across GCC Member States.
• Utilization of international experiences and strengthening collaboration with Arab , regional and international organizations working in the health field .
• Ensure that all Member States benefit from current health care practices and strategies, and support successful medical experiments in GCC Member State countries.
• Via the GCC Central Drug Registration Program for pharmaceutical companies, provide safe, effective and high-quality medicine through a unified procurement program for medicines and medical equipment and pricing of its products.
• Raise the capacity of national medical staff in Member States.
• Conduct joint health research among Member States.
Shared programs
In addition to major programs such as unified drug procurement , central registration, standardization of pricing, and expatriate labor examinations, the Gulf Health Council has several ongoing joint technical programs in GCC countries under the supervision of specialized technical advisory committees in such areas as family health, primary health care, quality, environmental sanitation, evidence-based health care, health planning, health systems performance development, patient safety, non-communicable disease control, health orientation of life, control of infectious and epidemic diseases, occupational health and safety, elder care, tobacco control and health research.
Seminars and conferences
The Gulf Health Council works towards qualification and development of working groups across Member States, and conduct joint health research in order to achieve the highest health and safety standards for citizens of the GCC States. This is achieved through organization and participation in scientific seminars, conferences and training courses.