The Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control was established with the decision of the Supreme Council of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Al Ula summit in January 2021 and unveiled by the Ministers of Health in Riyadh in October 2022. It is a semi-autonomous technical agency of the Gulf Health Council which aims to improve the availability and utilization of public health-related scientific and epidemiological information for the purpose of improving public health in the 6 GCC countries. The center will collect data on infectious and non-infectious diseases from GCC countries, assess emerging scientific studies, train public health professionals, and develop methods for rapid assessment and response to outbreaks and other public health emergencies. The GulfCDC will serve as the meeting point and hub of activities for ministries of health, public health, and prevention in the GCC countries and develop a network of regional, international experts and expert bodies to support us in this formidable task.

Based on the Gulf CDC plans, The years 2022-2024 will be the launch phase for the organization, with recruitment of up to 40-50 public health professionals, mapping of activities, development of regional communication networks and identification of Expert hubs in the region.

As the CEO of this organization, and on behalf of Gulf CDC team, I invite you to explore our website to learn about our activities and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube, where we aim to post regular updates.

Best regards,

Pasi Penttinen, MD MPH PhD

Chief Executive Officer, Gulf CDC