Creating a New National Public Health Agency to Promote Healthy Living and Prevent Disease

The Saudi government sought to establish a national public health agency as a critical component of its efforts to transform the country’s entire health system.

Shift Health led a consortium of partners (including the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the International Association of National Public Health Institutes) in transforming a small public health unit within Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health into a national body. The model developed by Shift Health aimed to position the agency to: act with autonomy and authority; coordinate the activities of multiple health and non-health stakeholders; oversee a national network of reference laboratories; respond swiftly to public health emergencies; and conduct cutting-edge research on key population health issues.

With its foundational strategy enthusiastically endorsed by the Minister of Health, the agency secured full funding and is currently implementing modern public health infrastructure that addresses the region’s pressing public health challenges and promotes wellness for the people of Saudi Arabia.