Establishment of the Kuwait Poison Control Center: From concept to operations

Poisoning is a significant and largely preventable public health problem, encompassing a wide range of exposures that require specialized toxicological expertise. Poison control centers play a key role in healthcare systems by centralizing clinical toxicological knowledge to support clinical management of poisoned patients, poison surveillance, emergency response, and research efforts. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the establishment of national poison control centers as a healthcare priority. Concerns over funding, resource, and staff limitations often pose significant barriers to the establishment of poison centers. In Kuwait, the 2012–2016 WHO Country Cooperation Strategy emphasized the urgent need for a national poison control center. However, lack of trained personnel delayed realization of this goal until May 2023. This article describes the establishment of the Kuwait Poison Control Center, detailing early needs assessments, the planning and implementation process, operational structure, and key challenges and achievements encountered during the center’s first two years of operations. It also outlines the center’s current functions and future plans for service expansion and capacity-building. • Describes phased establishment of Kuwait’s first national poison control center • Highlights medical toxicology capacity-building as central to implementation • Reports expansion from healthcare-only service to a public 24/7 poison hotline • Documents center’s role in mass casualty incidents and national outbreak responses • Presents a regional model for poison center development aligned with WHO guidance