Child Healthcare Remains Top Agenda in Oman's Health Vision 2050

Oman’s total healthcare expenditure will amount up to 8-10% of the country’s GDP by the year 2030

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -  September 30, 2019:   The Sultanate of Oman has made tremendous advancements in healthcare sector development during the past 43 years represented by the percentage and speedy reduction in mortality, especially childhood mortality. Thanks to the government’s ‘Best HealthCare for all’ motto, which was commended by the UN. 

With a growing total population of around 5 million, Oman’s young population amounts to 13.9% children under 5 years and 33.7% under-15 years. The government’s vision for the future focuses on healthy nutrition, growth monitoring and injury management in children.  As the total population of the country is expected to reach over 7 million mark by 2050, the governments are greatly concerned with their ability to adequately finance health care and ensure its sustainability in the face of escalating costs. In fact, healthcare is expected to be 8-10% of the GDP by 2030.

“There is an increasing focus on improving primary healthcare and cost-effective caregiving at all levels of healthcare in the region. When it comes to childcare, we can see that the Health Vision 2050 has delineated a number of priorities. It focuses providing balanced nutrition, especially for mothers, pregnant women and children, Maternal healthcare, including antenatal care, postnatal care, deliveries and birth spacing; Child health care, including growth monitoring, control of diarrheal diseases, and acute respiratory infections” says Dr. Doaa Said, Managing Director of Maarefah Management, which is organising Oman International Paediatric Congress, next month in Muscat.

The Health Vision 2050 of Oman, also aims to Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy, which will focus on immunization against childhood diseases, selected infectious disease and school health, is a vital part of primary health care in the country. 

In addition to these, prevention, control and treatment of common diseases and injuries will also be accentuated under the country’s Health Vision 2050. According to a 2018 report by BMJ Paediatrics Open on Childhood injuries in Oman, over 30% injury admissions to hospitals in were children 0–15 years of age. The high incidence of falls, home injuries and burns, highlight the need for age-targeted interventions and injury control programmes. 

The three-day congress happening on 10-12 October at Grand Millennium Muscat will host experts and key opinion leaders to deliberate on key issues and controversial topics in child health. The various panel discussion, workshops, and networking sessions will facilitate insightful debates on the most strategic issues regarding pathogenesis, management and prevention of serious paediatric disorders. The topical presentations will shed light on current issues and recent advances in metabolic and genetic disorders, paediatric neurology nutrition, gastroenterology, Paediatric dermatology, infectious diseases and vaccines, behavioural disorders and more. 

The Oman International Paediatric Congress is supported by Oman Paediatric Society and Oman Medical Association.