TEHRAN – A delegation headed by Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi is taking part in the eighth meeting of health ministries of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Xi’an, China.

The health ministers of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and some senior managers of the World Health Organization are attending the meeting, as well, Mehr news agency reported.

The week-long event, which kicked off on April 24, will be held under the theme ‘promoting sustainable health development and sharing a healthy future’. It will focus on topics such as enhancing the resilience of health systems through primary health care (PHC), risk management and medical emergencies, improving health services utilizing digital technologies such as telemedicine and artificial intelligence, as well as boosting cooperation on the development of traditional medicine.

In the eighth meeting of the health ministers of the member states of the SCO, two documents, including the declaration of the 8th Meeting of the SCO health ministers and the SCO medical emergency action plan, will be signed.

Zafarqandi is scheduled to deliver a speech and hold talks with health ministers of member states of SCO on ways to boost health ties.

On the very first day of the visit to China, April 24, Zafarqandi participated in a meeting titled ‘health based on transformation and innovation: new opportunities for Iran-China cooperation in the field of medical technology’.

Addressing the meeting, Zafarqandi said Iran and China have had great cooperation in the field of health for many years. 

Given the advancement of the two countries in the field of pharmaceutical raw materials, medicine, and medical equipment, Zafarqandi expressed optimism that the medical partnership between Iran and China would expand, and practical and executive steps to be taken following President Masoud Pezeshkian's visit to China.

During the meeting, some 18 Chinese pharmaceutical, medical, and hospital equipment manufacturing companies introduced their products and proposed collaborations in medical manufacturing, transferring technology, and meeting Iran’s needs. 

The seventh meeting of the health ministers of the member countries of the SCO was held in March in Kazakhstan.

Environmental health and safety of drinking water were the main topics of the three-day event. Three documents were signed for promoting cooperation on safe drinking water and sewage management, as well as adopting comprehensive policies and basic measures to improve healthcare in member states from 2025 to 2027.

Tehran seeks to boost health cooperation with SCO

The health ministry is planning to strengthen collaborations with the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS intergovernmental organization.

The fourth coordination and consensus meeting of the special working group for boosting cooperation with the BRICS and SCO was held on August 17, 2024, in Tehran, the health ministry website reported.

During the meeting, Mohammad-Amir Amirkhani, the deputy director of the health ministry’s department for international affairs, emphasized the need to recognize and benefit from the capabilities of the country’s membership in the SCO to promote international cooperation.

The representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO Secretariat, Mehrdad Kiaei, for his part, elaborated on the country’s capacities saying that Iran has a very good relationship with the SCO member states and is looking forward to playing a more significant role thanks to the strategic position of the country in the region in various fields such as energy, communication and health.

The official also evaluated the suggestion of forming special working groups in the field of health, including the advisory working group for the provision of emergency drugs or universal health coverage in the Shanghai system, to be useful.

At the end of this meeting, the members of the working group discussed and reviewed the outlines of the proposed programs in the relevant areas of cooperation with the SCO.

MT/MG