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President Tayyip Erdogan urges the ministers to build a bridge for healthier Ummah through integrated effort. 5th Session of Islamic Conference of Health Ministers concludes in Istanbul.

The Fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers  was  held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, from 17 to19 November, 2015. The conference was attended by health ministers & representatives from 55 member countries. President of Republic of Turkey addressed the conference during its concluding session.  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the OIC Member States to accord high priority to health sector and take necessary steps towards ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages and attaining health related targets in the SDGs and the SHPA; He stressed the Member States to take steps towards achieving universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all; He also emphasized the Turkish model of  development in the area of preventive and curative health and showed his keen interest and eagerness to share it with OIC member states.

The health ministers discussed various issues and matters relating to SHPA and SDGs. It was decided that all Member States shall designate their National Focal Point on Health; to facilitate coordination with the General Secretariat and other Member States on health issues including implementation of SHPA. They also Underscored  the need for increasing health financing, the recruitment, development, training and retention of health workforce and strengthening national and regional capacities for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

The Member States were urged to further enhance cooperation in terms of sharing of experience, expertise, best practices and technology in respect of the actions and activities identified in the SHPA. It was also resolved to implement the recommendations of LCCs and assist the Member States to extend their assistance to the General Secretariat for the immediate operationalization of the Health Implementation Unit (HIU) to facilitate the functions of the SCH to monitor implementations of the decisions of the ICHMs, coordinate actions pursuant to the Implementation Plan of the SHPA and promote cooperation among the Member States. The Member States were urged to strengthen cooperation in the area of health training and education including offers of scholarships in the field of health education.  The initiative of COMSTECH-WHO/EMRO’s Research Grants Programme was commended. 

The conference welcomed the establishment of OIC Ibn Sina Alliance of Health NGOs by SESRIC, in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat and IDB. The SESRIC was called upon to align its health capacity-building programmes with the needs and priorities of Member States and take NGOs on board and seek the advice and on ground facilitation by them in OIC member states.. 

It was decided to hold the 6th session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM) in 2017 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and welcomed the offer by the Islamic Republic of Iran to host the 7th session of ICHM in 2019. A highly structured exhibition was held displaying the medical and pharmaceutical related products at the conference venue. The delegates were taken to four various field trips arranged by the ministry of health, Turkey. A dinner and cultural evening program was hosted by Minister of health of Turkey in the honour of respected ministers and delegates.

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