(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) The World Bank is calling on the GCC governments to reform their healthcare sectors from systems that only treat sickness to ones that also preserve and promote health. The Bank urged the region to rethink the way healthcare is financed and organized to align incentives for "improved access to, and continuity of, appropriate care in primary care settings", reported Saudi Gazette on Sunday. Four GCC countries are in the global top 20 for obesity - Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. As a result, diseases like diabetes affect almost one in five people in the GCC which is almost three times the average of other high income countries. The World Bank also said road traffic injuries take a disproportionate toll on the youth of the region, even though public health measures like enforcement of seatbelt use and speed limits has been found to be successful in saving lives world over. "The GCC countries have made important strides in improving the health standards of their populations but the government spending on health care remains low and does not meet people's expectations," said Bassam Ramadan, World Bank country manager in Kuwait. "The GCC governments spend an average of seven percent of their annual budgets on healthcare compared to the 17 percent spent by OECD countrie
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.