Interview with Issam Abousleiman, GCC Country Director at the World Bank on non-communicable diseases

Issam Abousleiman, GCC Country Director at the World Bank, discussed with Economy Middle East, in a recent interview, the issue of non-communicable diseases.

“It’s one of the major killers today in the 6 countries of the GCC. This doesn’t only have a cost on the health treatment but also a big cost on the economic front. The GCC has already done a lot of work on that issue, with some drawing strategies,” Abousleiman said.

He said that these are preventable diseases, and that the sooner we attack them at a younger age, creating the right habits in terms of eating, and sports, then the better chance at reducing their effects.

Abousleiman added that the cost, based on 2019 data for the GCC, was almost more than 5 percent of the GDP, and “This is a big cost in terms of how this is affecting their economies.”

Know more about the steps GCC nations can take to improve on this situation, by watching the video here.