3rd Islamic ministerial conference to establish Health Implementation Unit at the OIC General Secretariat
TANA. October 3. KAZINFORM The Third Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) concluded on 1st October 2011 with the adoption of a number of important resolutions covering a broad range of health-related issues in the OIC Member States.
The Conference decided to establish a special Health Implementation Unit (HIU) at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah to serve as the permanent secretariat of the Steering Committee on Health and to facilitate effective monitoring and implementation of the resolutions and declarations emanating from the OIC Health Ministerial Conferences and promote health cooperation and coordination among the OIC Member States.
The Conference reviewed the status of health in OIC Member States, examined major health-related issues and identified concrete measures for strengthening cooperation among the OIC Member States with regard to health infrastructures, education, training, capacity building, disease surveillance prevention and control as well as self-reliance in drugs and vaccine production, the OIC press release reads.
The Health Ministers also took note of the ongoing activities and projects in the field of health by the OIC General Secretariat and relevant OIC institutions, including the IDB, ISESCO, SESRIC and COMSTECH. They expressed their support for further strengthening of international partnerships to address various health challenges, including the ongoing cooperation between the OIC and the OIC/Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Health Ministers welcomed the offers by Indonesia and Turkey to host the 4th and 5th sessions of the Islamic Conference of Health ministers to be held in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
The Conference was attended by Health Ministers and high-level officials from the OIC Member States and observer states. The Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, Ambassador Abdul Moiz Bokhari represented the OIC General Secretariat. Representatives from OIC institutions and international organizations such as the WHO, UNICEF, WHO/Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNFPA, Rotary International and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others also participated in the Conference.
On the sidelines of the Conference, the OIC Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Bokhari received the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Professor Michel Kazatchkine with whom he exchanged views for further strengthening of cooperation between the two organizations. Both sides reiterated their commitment to work together in the fight against the three communicable diseases in the OIC Member States.