Health

Qatar’s health care sector is undergoing vigorous change, for both good and bad reasons. The good news is that Qataris are living longer. The bad is that more are living with lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. To meet this challenge, the government has been making sizeable investments in health care: Qatar now spends more per capita on health than any other GCC country, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). A 2013 announcement stated that Qatar will funnel $10.4bn into health care over the next five years – a lurch upwards from the recent annual average of $367m. Conducting research, furnishing staff for clinics, supplying pharmaceuticals, building new facilities and running IT services all hold opportunities for private sector involvement. This chapter contains an interview with Abdulla bin Khalid Al Qahtani, Minister of Health and Secretary-General, Supreme Council of Health.