Riyadh, Nov. 21, 2021, SPA –Health Minister Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, who also heads the Saudi Health Council, stressed that adopting digital health technologies as new criteria reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in all regional and international events at all levels and embodies the country’s excellence in dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, citing the use of its best utilization of modern digital technologies. During a speech at the virtual inauguration of the 2021 conference organized by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), the Minister added that the digital technologies used during the pandemic were among the most important factors in dealing with the pandemic, where the first interactive map for COVID-19 was launched to provide accurate data and benefit from artificial intelligence to analyze these data that enabled stakeholders to make national strategic decisions. He said that “HIMSS conference 2021 includes several goals, the most important of which is discussing current challenges, visions and ideas on future plans and possible solutions in the healthcare field at the regional and international levels, in addition to highlighting the role of the important health information technology and its effective effect in increasing the efficiency of the performance, improving the quality of services and using the best available resources. No doubt that the participation of elite scientists and specialists in this field will enrich this forum with ideas and expertise that add on the exerted efforts and support the work progress in the technological fields, he added. The minister also referred to his ministry's being embarked on the implementation of innovative plans to develop the health system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the preparing of health transformation plan in various aspects and designing programs for governance, financing, and offering health services according to the best international practices in a way that accords with the National Transformation Program and Saudi Vision 2030, where digital health is a pivotal partner for transformation in the health sector. For his part, Secretary General of the Saudi Health Council Dr. Nahar Al-Azmi said that holding this conference is aimed at completing the role of the Council in preparing and endorsing the coordination and integration policy among all stakeholders and the qualitative development of the healthcare service, discussing current challenges in the health sector and proposing visions and ideas on the future plans and possible solutions for the health sector at the regional and international levels. He added that the conference will also include exchanging knowledge, expertise and experiments in various sessions and international dialogues on challenges facing the health systems and available solutions for their development. In remarks to highlight the event, Director General of the National Health Information Center Waleed Al-Bahli said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the virtual conference stems from the importance of the digital health and solutions it offers to face challenges in the health sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries around the world, such as financial sustainability due to the steady increase in the cost of health services, scarcity of health personnel and the care burden that is accompanied with an increase in the rates of chronic diseases, and difficulties in access to health services. He added that these challenges constitute a point to launch ambitious and innovative plans to restructure and develop the health system with the use of modern technologies to offer digital health service and keep pace with the best successful international practices. --SPA 19:36 LOCAL TIME 16:36 GMT 0027 www.spa.gov.sa/w1654306