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Ammon News - Chronic diseases pose a major challenge to the Kingdom, Health Minister Feras Al-Hawari said Tuesday evening, Jordan News Agency Petra reported.

Al-Hawari made his remarks during a ceremony organized by the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS) to launch the "Chronic Diseases Responding: Partners for Health" program.

Jordan, the minister said, is witnessing a large wave of chronic diseases that is related to multiple risk factors, the most of which is smoking, calling for combating this dangerous phenomenon, according to Petra.

Al-Hawari also underlined the importance of cooperation between the ministry and donors from local and international bodies in responding and reducing the chronic diseases in the Kingdom.

During the ceremony, attended by representatives of the Novo Nordisk, the World Diabetes foundations, and many partners and donors, RHAS director- general Dima Jweihan said that the four-year program is carried out in an integrated cooperation with the ministries of health, youth and education, with the support of international and local organizations as well as a number of volunteers.

The program aims to reduce the financial burden of the chronic diseases' cost on the Jordanian government, Jweihan indicated, noting that it targets Jordanians in addition to Syrian refugees in the Kingdom.

The RHAS is one of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah's initiatives that aims to raise health and safety awareness in Jordan through preventative programs and awareness campaigns, as well as encourage Jordanians to adopt healthy habits and lifestyles.