Your Excellency,
Dr. Ogtay Shiralieyev,
Minister of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Distinguished Ministers and Representatives of member states,
Distinguished representatives of international organizations
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great honour for me to participate in the 1st ECO Health Ministerial Meeting. I thank the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan for hosting this important event. I am grateful to the Honourable Minister of Health, H.E. Dr. Ogtay Shiralieyev, for his personal support and cooperation. I also thank the Honourable Health Ministers and delegates from other ECO member states to dedicate their valuable time for attending in this meeting. The presence of the distinguished representatives of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNAIDS is indeed a source of added strength to us. They are our valuable partners in the effort to further develop Health in our region. I extend a warm welcome to all of you.
Excellencies,
Among the myriad challenges that constitute the agenda of most of the discussions in different forums round the world, provision of better health facilities rightly occupies a central position.
Health is important in its own right. It is the symbol of life, indeed, it is life itself. There is no doubt that health is the most valued possession and most precious capital of the mankind. Every human being has the right to health, regardless of his or her personal legal status. Every government has an obligation to secure access to basic rights by all persons on their territory. The vital role of the health sector in development of our economies is undeniable. It is a key factor in the progress and development of our region.
National Societies have recognized the central importance of health as a critical input to development, as a fundamental right with a value in itself, and as a cornerstone of humanitarian assistance.
Improved and constantly developing health system contributes to social well-being through its impact on economic development, competitiveness and productivity. Hence, high-performing health systems contribute to economic development and national prosperity.
Mr. Chairman,
Due to identical economic and social conditions in most of the ECO Member States, there is a similarity of problems faced by their health sectors. Thus, there is a vast scope to benefit from each other’s experiences in strengthening health facilities for the benefit of the people in the ECO region. Unfortunately, this vital sector has been largely taken for granted. We have not paid it the attention it has deserved.
There are compelling reasons to raise Health to a higher priority, to give it more attention, stronger support, increased investment – indeed, to give it the place it has deserved. We have to take a coordinated, committed, broad-based approach - an approach which is regional, which is conducive to a wider, global solution.
Excellencies,
Back to activities of the ECO on health, an informal consultative of the ECO Health Ministers held in 1994 in Tehran outlined a broad framework for further formulation and preparation of specific proposals.
Based on their guidelines six events, i.e. meeting, training courses, workshops, etc. were organized in health sector in cooperation with the UN agencies like UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO from 1994 to 2003. The Directorate of Human Resource and Sustainable Development of the Secretariat, which established in January 2006, hold expanding health cooperation as high on its agenda.
Then, cooperation on various important areas under health sector was initiated including cooperation on blood transfusion for which the first meeting of Heads/Authorities of Blood Transfusion Organizations in Member states sat held in Tehran in 2008 agreed for further cooperation in this section and also approved setting up a network for more effective collaboration. The second meeting is already scheduled to be held in Turkey on 26-27 April 2010 that, I am sure, it will accelerate and consolidate more the cooperation in this important area.
Similarly the first “ECO High Level Drug Regulatory Authorities”, hosted by the Ministry of Health of Iran, was held on 13-15 November 2007 aimed at Drug Regulatory Networking. This network, through exchange of information, joint training courses and other means, will promote collaboration of Drug Regulatory Authorities for all aspects of quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products to improve the quality of life and healthcare in the member states.
Cooperation in the field of health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is another important issue. Based on recommendation of the 19th RPC meeting for preparing a regional analytical report on prioritized Millennium Development Goals (MDG) utilizing the experiences of an international consultant, through close cooperation of ECO Secretariat and United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a Consultant Team, including six University Professors and researchers, was established. The draft report was prepared and the Secretariat sent a copy of the related parts of the report to each member states for their consideration and comments. The gist of the report has been presented in the yesterday’s meeting of Senior Officials.
It is hoped that based on findings and recommendations of the report, some Regional projects, which are beneficial for the member states, could be identified and implemented.
Excellencies,
Alongside these efforts, we believe, we must promote closer interaction among our health scientists, our planners and development practitioners. Our activities have to be project oriented. And the projects should be based on concrete studies in the region.
In conclusion, Excellencies, may I reiterate that health merits increased attention. It has become more demanding in a way it never was before. The programmes we have already initiated, and the projects we shall take up in the years ahead must have the full backing of the member states, should have the generous support of the donor agencies. These backing and support will guarantee the success and effective implementation of the health programmes and cooperation in our ECO region.
I thank you, Sir.
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