KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health announced the launch of a workshop to prepare the “National Guide for Elderly-Friendly Cities” in cooperation between the Elderly Services Department and the Healthy Cities Office at the Ministry. This is aimed at setting national standards for cities that take into account the needs of the elderly and contribute to improving their quality of life.

Director of the Elderly Services Department at the Ministry, Dr Fatima Bin Dhafari, stressed in a press statement on Monday the importance of the workshop in enhancing Kuwait’s role as a country that takes into account the needs of the elderly and provides a suitable environment for them by improving services and infrastructure in line with international standards.

Bin Dhafari pointed out that the workshop comes within the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve the welfare of the elderly. She explained that current challenges and policies will be discussed and available opportunities will be identified to provide better services for the elderly, with concrete recommendations that can be implemented within the framework of national standards.

For her part, Director of the Healthy Cities Office, Dr Amal Al-Yahya, stated in a similar statement that the National Guide for Senior Friendly Cities will address eight main axes, including outdoor spaces, buildings, transportation, housing, community participation, respect, and social integration, in addition to civic participation, employment, communications, information, community support, and health services. She said that these axes are in line with global trends and the organization of work in healthy cities and are also part of community initiatives to improve health and quality of life, noting that work on this initiative will be in Kuwaiti healthy cities.

The workshop is witnessing wide participation from government agencies and institutions, most notably the Ministries of Public Works, Interior, Social Affairs, Education, and Information, in addition to the Food and Nutrition Authority, the Environment Public Authority, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, the Public Authority for the Disabled, the Kuwait Municipality, the Public Institution for Social Security, the Public Institution for Housing Welfare, and Kuwait University (represented by the College of Public Health), in addition to the Public Transport Company and the Good Son Charity. — KUNA