Man finally discovered that invading space and reaching planets and exploring them is much easier than discovering what is inside him. Man discovered that he is still ignorant towards probing himself — how does his body function? How do his cells deal with his brains? How does his mood affect the function of his organs? Man finally admitted his inability and began searching for beneficial knowledge that makes him more understanding and humble.

With the spread of chronic diseases that man did not know much about, it became the duty of scientists, particularly doctors, to fight the symptoms even if they did not understand the cause of the illness. Chronic disease is a long-term medical condition, which comes with time and progresses slowly. It normally has dangerous complications on the human being if not diagnosed and dealt with early.

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates chronic diseases are not transmitted from one person to another as they are not infectious, even when heredity has a role in it. Chronic disease is considered responsible about 60 percent of all deaths around the world, while 80 percent of deaths due to chronic diseases take place in low- to middle-income countries. Half of chronic disease deaths are in persons who are under 70 years of age, and chronic diseases affect men and women equally globally.

Among the chronic diseases that are on the rise are heart, arteries, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases. There is no Kuwaiti family in which one of its members does not have one of the said chronic diseases. Chronic diseases have symptoms that lead to changing the patient’s life, headed by the pain that prevents man from enjoying life regardless of what he owns from it bounties. Because of this, man is no longer looking for the reason that is still unknown in many chronic diseases, and all he asks for is his body to rest and return to enjoying life.

So, medicines for symptoms have expanded with the increase in chronic diseases. We in Kuwait paid attention to chronic diseases early, and health ministry established a full department for these diseases. In fact it created departments to control pain and a hospital for palliative care. It also established a special center for diabetes, chest and heart diseases to care for these chronic diseases, which are expected to form more that 80 percent of illnesses in the future in Kuwait.

We in Kuwait are proud that we paid attention to these diseases before others, as statistics confirm that we in Kuwait began to recognize the goals of medicines. Hundreds benefited from palliative care, as medicine helped alleviate symptoms and help return to enjoying life. Success in controlling chronic diseases needs the cooperation of at least seven specialties that work with the one-team system to supply the patient with all his needs in health, psychological, moral, spiritual, sport and social aspects, which achieves integration in treating patients that distinguishes medical care of chronic diseases from other treatments. This is the main goal of the chronic diseases department, which makes specialized harmony an effective means to confront chronic diseases, besides its role in awareness and early discovery.

Hopes are big and I am confident in the ability of this department to be successful.