Health Ministry asks UAE media not to place health ads without prior approval

The UAE Ministry of Health called on all local media including print publications, radio and television broadcasters and websites to implement the UAE Cabinet's Resolution No.7/2007 which regulates publishing, airing and/or posting health ads and commercials."Media organizations of various types (operating in the UAE) are clearly defying Resolution No. 7/2007 and continue to publish and/or air health advertisements without getting prior permits from the Department of Health Advertisements at the Ministry of Health", said Head of the Department of Health Advertisements Dr. Abdul Kareem Al Zarouni. "Cooperation with the Department of Information and Publishing at the National Media Council (NMC) will go underway to instruct once again all the publishing houses and printing presses and media including newspapers, magazines, periodicals, news bulletins and terrestrial and space radio and TV services, including those operating in the free zones to strictly abide by the effective laws and abstain from publishing/airing any health ads before obtaining prior relevant permits from the Ministry of Health." "Reasons behind violations will also be discussed", he added. For his part, Head of NMC's Department of Information and Publishing Saeed Abdullah Al Darmaki said "all the media in the country have been told again not to publish/air/post any health ads and commercials before checking and making sure all data in the applications for broadcasting/publishing/posting health ads are authenticated by the Ministry of Health." "NMC will be taking legal action (against violators) to safeguard the public interest", he stressed. A large number of media organizations in the country, he noted, are still in violation of the Cabinet's Resolution No. 7/2007 which went into effect upon publication in the official gazette on March 29th, 2007.

"In accordance to the Federal Law No. 4/1983 that deals with health products pharmaceuticals , curative medicines which are dispended only by prescription should not be advertised at all," he said. Source