Washington / Information Office / April 24
The embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States of America sponsored the 19th Charity Gala of the Department of Pediatrics at Georgetown University Hospital, which was held at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium.
In his speech, HE Qatar's Ambassador to the United States of America, Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, praised all the assistance provided to promote the health and wellbeing of children, pointing out the unique relationship between Qatar and Georgetown University in this field.
HE the ambassador said that since 2005, Georgetown University has established a campus in Doha's Education City, which is the most prominent witness to Qatar's educational policy that attracts students from more than 50 countries, adding that in addition to the shared commitment to educational excellence, Qatar and Georgetown University are committed to providing the best and most comprehensive health care services to the communities.
He spoke about the importance of health care as one of the basic elements of human development, in the context of creating stable societies capable of dealing effectively with challenges, adding that children's health is a matter of concern to all, not only because children are most at risk, but also because children represent the future.
HE Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani referred to UNICEF 2017 report, which revealed that millions of children in the MENA region live without good health care, pointing out that statistics from the World Health Organization provide a grim picture of child mortality rates due to malnutrition and lack of medical care.
HE the ambassador explained that 5.6 million deaths occur annually because of the lack of basic medical care only, stressing that these facts pushed the State of Qatar to become a regional and global center attracting doctors and researchers, and a leader in the field of personal health care.
HE Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani also spoke about the advanced medical center of SIDRA, noting that it provides advanced health care to patients in Qatar, the Gulf region and globally, pointing out that Qatars Shafallah Center continues to provide educational, medical, rehabilitation and recreational services for people with special needs.
HE the ambassador noted that, as with the Department of Pediatrics of Georgetown University, Qatar can provide support for medical research to alleviate the suffering of children and ensure a healthy generation with the ability to play its role in the future, adding that the ceremony marks the beginning of a promising collaboration between Qatar and the Department of Pediatrics at Georgetown University which will contribute to improving children's health and helping others.