TEHRAN – Health Minister Bahram Einollahi has met some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, exploring avenues to bolster collaborations in the health and medicine sector.

Einollahi met the health ministries of Cuba, Armenia, and Zimbabwe, from May 27 to June 1, IRNA reported.

While meeting Einollahi, the Cuban health minister, José Angel Portal Miranda, expressed interest in developing cooperation with Iran, particularly in the field of medicine and medical equipment.

“The Joint Economic Commission meeting in Havana in mid-June this year provides a valuable opportunity to learn about the capabilities of the Cuban health system,” he added.

Einollahi, for his part, said, "The cooperation between Iran and Cuba during the Covid-19 outbreak led to the joint production of the Soberana vaccine.”

Highlighting Iran's capabilities in the health sector, Einollahi invited the Cuban official to pay a visit to the country and gain more insight into Iran’s capabilities in various fields of health.

The Zimbabwean health minister, Douglas Mombeshora, also met Einollahi.

“We have a keen interest in boosting cooperation with Iran in the field of medicine and medical equipment,” the official said.

The export of Iranian medical equipment to Zimbabwe can lead to the creation of new markets in other countries,  specifically African countries, Mombeshora added.

During the meeting, Einollahi, stressing that Iran's health system has rich capabilities in different fields of health,  declared readiness for cooperation in various sectors such as education, treatment, medicine, and medical equipment.

The Iranian health minister also met his Armenian counterpart, Anahita Avanesyan.

The officials highlighted the importance of developing cooperation between the two countries.

Lauding Iranian-made products for their high quality, the Armenia minister expressed interest in fostering health ties.

She also extended an invitation to Iranian companies to participate in the upcoming medicine and medical equipment exhibition, which is slated to be held in Yerevan in August, to showcase their latest products and achievements in the health sector.

Einollahi, for his part, referring to the Armenian health minister's visit to the country in the Iranian year 1401 (March 2022-2023) stated, “We hope that the previous agreements will be expeditiously implemented through a time-bound action plan supported by the formation of a joint working group between the health ministries of the two countries.

Throughout the meetings, the officials agreed to establish a working group comprised of each country’s representative to monitor the timely and efficient implementation of the agreements.

Einollahi appointed Deputy Health Minister Mohammad Hossein Niknam as Iran’s representative.

The 77th WHA

A total of 192 health ministers from World Health Organization (WHO) member states attended the event.

The strategic roundtables spanned the overarching theme of the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly: All for health, health for all.

During the meeting, experts discuss and reflect on current and future priorities and challenges facing global health as per related documents, and the member states will express their ideas about each document, IRNA quoted the deputy health minister, Mohammad Hossein Niknam, as saying.

Einollahi presented a statement on 34 specific documents related to the country's health system.

Out of 34 documents, 25 are on general health activities, six focus on the activities of different departments, one titled 'The Global Health Initiative for Peace' is related to international cooperation, one addresses the health situation in the occupied territories [Palestine], and the last one pertains to the eradication of smallpox, Niknam noted.

In addition, other topics such as the budget and financial issues, the membership status of the member states, auditing, and issues raised in the executive board session of the WHO  were reviewed by specialized committees.

In the 77th WHA, a total of 70 topics will be discussed in the form of documents, he stated.

To promote collaborations, Einollahi has held meetings with his counterparts from different countries including Armenia, Pakistan, Cuba, Zimbabwe, China, the health ministries of the G5 countries, and the Director General of the WHO, on the sidelines of the WHA, the official further noted.

The WHA is the decision-making body of WHO. The main functions of the WHA are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed program budget.

Held annually in Geneva, Switzerland, it focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.

MT/MG