Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 20/11/2015
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The “5th Islamic Conference of Health Ministers” that was held between 17-19 November 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey, under the theme “Building Bridges for a Healthier Ummah’ concluded with speeches by President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Secretary General of the OIC Iyad Ameen Madani.
In a wide-ranging speech, President Erdoğan said that the Conference of Health Ministers in Istanbul highlights the way Muslim countries are able to come together to cooperate on issues of mutual concern and that this collaboration needs to extend outside the sphere of health and include other issues affecting Muslim countries, including terrorism, the refugee crisis and poverty which is the root cause of terrorism. He further urged OIC countries to unite and show solidarity with each other.
In his speech, the OIC Secretary General congratulated the Health Mınısters on the adoptıon of the Conference’s recommendatıons to rebrand the OIC Strategic Health Program of Action (SHPA) and alıgn its ımplementatıon plan wıth the UN’s Sustaınable Development Goals. He said this shows that the socıo-economıc development outlook of OIC countrıes ıs ın harmony wıth current global targets.
Mr. Madani also congratulated Turkey for a successful Conference and expressed confidence that with Turkey’s stewardship the OIC will progress in achieving better health standards across the Muslim world. He also thanked Indonesia for its effective chairmanship of the previous session of the health ministers conference.
Speaking about challenges presently facing the Muslim world, the Secretary General said there is an ever-growing need for strengthening bilateral and multicultural cooperation to overcome them.
He also said that improvement in health could significantly contribute to efforts by member states to alleviate poverty, adding that investments in health could result in positive spin-offs in national and international security and stability.
Underscoring the OIC’s commitment to health, the OIC Secretary General highlighted the joint efforts of the OIC and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to assist countries in West Africa affected by Ebola in 2014, demonstrating how the OIC and its institutions add value to international efforts to mobilize regional partnerships and resources.
Four panel discussions—on cancer, health-related emergencies, technology addiction and involvement of NGOs in OIC health-related agendas—took place over the three-day conference. The panels were attended by international experts and led to the adoption of a set of recommendations for individual countries and mutual international cooperation.
President Erdoğan and the OIC Secretary General also met on the sidelines of the event and discussed issues concerning the Muslim world and preparations for the next Islamic Summit that Turkey will host in April 2016. The Secretary General also held separate meetings with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Feridun Sinirlioglu, and the Health Minister of Turkey, Mehmet Muezzinoglu. The 6th Session of the Islamic Conference of Health Minister will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2017.
