Doha, October 05 (QNA) - HE Minister of Public Health Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud emphasized Monday the importance of the role played by the National Committee for Health Research Ethics in strengthening the country's health research system.

During the committee's first meeting, His Excellency emphasized the necessity of ensuring full compliance with ethical and legal standards in health research, thereby directly contributing to a safe and advanced research environment and enhancing the quality of research outputs.

The committee meeting addressed a number of important topics, particularly the committee's key competencies and functions as defined by national legislation. Foremost among these is the formulation and definition of ethical frameworks for leveraging health research to foster innovation and enhance the quality of healthcare, while ensuring an environment that aligns with best practices and recognized international standards.

It also addressed the measures ensuring the continuity of research activities and their compliance with the law, as well as the regulatory and licensing powers vested in the committee. These include mechanisms for licensing research institutions and research review committees, overseeing clinical trials subject to the law's provisions, and regulating and renewing licenses for the establishment of biobanks, all of which support governance and oversight of this vital sector in the state.

The is held in implementation of the Cabinet Decision No. 13 of 2026 regarding the formation of the committee and the definition of its competencies. The committee's membership includes representatives from the Ministry of Public Health; the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs; Hamad Medical Corporation; the Primary Health Care Corporation; Sidra Medicine; Qatar University; the Naufar Center; the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council; Aspetar Hospital; the Qatar Precision Health Institute; the National Cyber ​​Security Agency; and the National Human Rights Committee. (QNA)