Saudi Health Ministry receives UN award for wellness initiatives
text_fields
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health has received a 2025 UN Inter-Agency Task Force Award for its policies targeting obesity and noncommunicable diseases, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The award was presented by the World Health Organization and the UN Inter-Agency Task Force during the 10th annual Friends of the Task Force Meeting in New York, held alongside the 80th UN General Assembly.
The ministry was recognized for several initiatives, including the Sehhaty mobile app and the Seha Virtual Hospital, which is the world’s largest virtual hospital. The Seha platform connects more than 200 hospitals across the Kingdom, providing remote medical care and using advanced artificial intelligence tools to improve accessibility. It has also been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest online medical initiative globally.
Other community programs cited included the Healthy Cities Program and the Walk 30 initiative, which has engaged over 1 million people. Nutrition policies such as the sugar-sweetened beverage tax and the elimination of industrial trans fats were also highlighted.
The WHO further acknowledged the establishment of a ministerial Health in All Policies committee aimed at integrating health considerations into national strategies.
Sixteen Saudi cities have so far been accredited as Healthy Cities under WHO standards. Jeddah and Madinah were the first cities in the Middle East with populations exceeding 2 million to receive this designation. Officials credited progress in safety, healthcare, infrastructure and modern public facilities for meeting WHO criteria.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the recognition reflects the Kingdom’s progress in tackling noncommunicable diseases and its efforts to advance health-related Sustainable Development Goals.