RIYADH - Saudi Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel participated in a high-level dialogue session as part of the World Economic Forum events held Monday in Riyadh.

The session was attended by several international dignitaries, including Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Al-Jalajel stressed the need to take proactive measures to address the future challenges of climate-related health issues, emphasizing the importance of strengthening international cooperation to mitigate the impact of epidemics and emergencies.

The Minister pointed to the pivotal role of Saudi Arabia in working regionally and internationally to declare the world free of polio.

Al-Jalajel warned against the dangers of antimicrobial resistance, describing it as a "silent pandemic" that requires international efforts to combat it. He also announced the launch of a joint project between Saudi Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance cooperation in areas such as disease surveillance and diagnostic tools.

Saudi Arabia has provided strong support to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the COVAX Facility, and other alliance initiatives to enable the most fragile health systems in the world to immunize their populations. It has also provided direct support to more than 26 countries to improve their health systems, investing more than $900 million in this regard.