The Eight Meeting of the OIC Steering Committee on Health was hosted by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia on 25–26 March 2014 in Jakarta. The meeting, inter alia, discussed the status of implementation of the decisions and resolutions adopted by the Fourth Islamic Conference of Health Ministers, as well as the implementation of OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014-2023, promoting self-reliance in production of medicines and vaccines, health programmes for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and establishment of the OIC Health Implementation Unit.

Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, has made a statement during the Steering Committee Meeting where he informed the delegates on the statistical, research and training activities and iniatives of the Centre in the area of health. In this regard, the Director General of SESRIC has elobaroted the role of SESRIC in preraring and finalising the recently adopted the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action (SHPA) as well as its Implementation Plan of the SHPA, which identifies certain programmes of actions and activities to be implemented collectively by the OIC Member Countries and the relevant OIC and international institutions with a view to strengthening the health systems and enhancing the quality of health services in the member countries.

Prof. Alpay also mentioned that SESRIC has given a special importance to training and capacity building in the field of health under the umbrella of its Vocational Education and Training Programme for OIC Member Countries (OIC-VET), three capacity building programmes have been designed and initiated by the Centre with the aim of enhancing the capacities of human resources involving in health sector in the member countries. These programmes are: Ibn Sina Health Capacity Building Programme (IbnSina-HCaB), Tobacco Control Training Programme, and Occupational Safety and Health Capacity Building Program (OSHCaB). These programmes are based on matching the needs and capacities of the relevant national institutions in the Member Countries according to their responses to the related questionnaires of these Programmes. Within the framework of the implementation of these programmes, SESRIC organizes different training courses, workshops and study visits aiming at facilitating the exchanging of knowledge and know-how, best practices and models, experience and expertise among the OIC member countries in the field of health with a view to contributing to the South-South cooperation initiative within the OIC.

Director General Alpay also stated that the Centre has been exerting efforts to devise close coordination with member countries in order to explore ways and means for the implementation of the SHPA and plan concrete activities for future. In this regard, the Centre has started its consultation with the Ministries of Health of the Lead Country Coordinators (LCCs) of the six Thematic Areas under the OIC-SHPA. Furthermore, the Centre has also planned two consecutive meetings with international partners and NGOs working in health area in order to integrate activities and projects on health related issues focusing on the modalities that they can employ in complementing the role of the Member states in the implementation of the OIC-SHPA.

Statement

Statement of Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC (English)

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