National Health Strategy 2011–2016.

This National Health Strategy is a 5-year nationwide sectoral document aiming at (i) outlining the strategic directions and key initiatives that the health sector, under the leadership of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), plans to undertake; and (ii) propelling Qatar toward the health goals and objectives contained in the Qatar National Vision 2030 whose human development pillar has at its center the health of the people of Qatar and in line with the target of the SCH's National Health Vision of "caring for the future"; (iii) providing a practical, implementable strategy to be used by the health sector as a means for reform and improvement, not in terms of facilities but rather a strategy for reform with far-reaching and fundamental changes across the entire healthcare system. The NHS defines the following key outcomes and activities necessary to reach the ultimate goals for the health sector (i) a comprehensive world class healthcare system whose services are accessible to the whole population; (ii) an integrated system of healthcare offering high-quality services; (iii) preventive healthcare, taking into account the differing needs of men, women, and children; (iv) a skilled national workforce capable of providing high-quality health services; (v) a national health policy that sets and monitors standards; (vi) effective and affordable services; (vii) high-caliber research directed at improving the effectiveness and quality of healthcare.
Within Goal 3 concerning the preventive healthcare, the Strategy deals with the issue of Chronic and Communicable Disease Prevention, including programs related to (i) nutrition and physical activity; (ii) women and child health. As for the nutrition, the document suggests interventions as follows (i) set up a comprehensive nutrition and physical activity program with initiatives targeted at various stakeholders and with impact on the prevalence of obesity; (ii) media awareness campaigns; (iii) prevention guidelines; (iv) promotion of healthy food options; (v) promote food safety, also by the transition to a single agency for food safety (FSA); (v) comprehensive review of current Food Law and legislation and enactment of modifications required; (vi) formalize national standards and strengthening procedures for notification of outbreaks of food-borne illness; (vii) ensure appropriate labelling of food items. While with regard to women and particularly new born and child nutrition, the recommendations are for (i) development of nutritional guidelines for newborns, infants, and children; (ii) promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; (iii) provision of nutritional guidance and vitamin supplementation.