Islamic conference of health ministers kicks off in Saudi Arabia

Under the theme “Health in all policies,” the sixth session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers of the Member States (ICHM) was launched on Dec. 5.
The OIC assistant secretary-general for science and technology, Ambassador Mohammad Naim Khan, highlighted the major achievements made since the fifth ICHM in Turkey. He said health is one of the key areas of OIC activities.
The OIC’s Strategic Health Plan of Action (SHPA) established a framework for more effective national action and for international cooperation in the area of health.
The undersecretary of Public Health in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hani Jokhdar, underlined the importance of promoting health in communities and upgrading health systems, and the need for cooperative health work among member states.
The sixth ICHM will discuss enhancing cooperation, healthy lifestyles, prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and emergency health and disaster situations. The ministers will also discuss mother and child health and nutrition, and self-reliance in the provision and production of medicines, vaccines and medical technology, as well as the health conditions in occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan.
On implementing the SHPA, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) will present a report on health in the OIC member states.
Also, the chairman of the Islamic advisory group on polio eradication will review a status report on the groups’ activities. The chairman of the OIC group of vaccine manufacturers will present a case report on self-reliance in this area.

Source: Arab News