Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Health Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Health Authority (Weqaya) Fahad Al-Jalajel inaugurated the National Biobank in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Jalajel said that this project is one of the important milestones in raising the efficiency and effectiveness of the infrastructure of public health systems in the Kingdom.

“It will further enhance national health security, raise the efficiency of control programs and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and will contribute effectively to supporting the research, development and innovation agenda in the Kingdom,” he said.

The minister said it will help localization of biotechnologies, which include in its applications research related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The authority stated that the bank will enable the authority to prepare programs and plans in the field of prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases, raise the capabilities of examination and early detection, set priorities for the localization of modern technologies for the development of medicines and vaccines.