President Ilham Aliyev participates in session of WHO Regional Committee for Europe - UPDATE - PHOTOS

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the 61st session of the World Health Organization`s Regional Committee for Europe, which has started here today. The event brings together ministers from the 53 member states, heads of international organizations, Azerbaijan`s medical experts, as well as Director General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan.

“Over the past five years, budgetary spending on healthcare sector has increased by more than eight times,” said President Ilham Aliyev.

According to the Head of State, “It shows that this issue is a priority to us. Our state tries to do its best to ensure citizens` health.”“Over the past few years, we have carried out concrete steps to upgrade health facilities. Because, as you know in the first years of independence, Azerbaijan was experiencing a hard economic situation, and crisis, our financial opportunities were very limited and the healthcare facilities created in previous periods fell into disrepair. We were eager to attain a breakthrough in this issue. The healthcare facilities built and overhauled over the past few years in Azerbaijan reflect the realities of modern Azerbaijan. Over the past few years, more than 400 healthcare facilities have been built or undergone repair in our country,” the President added. 

Executive President of the session Joseph Casals and WHO Regional Director for Europe Zsuzsanna Jakab thanked the Azerbaijani government for good organization of the event.

They said strategy and plans on topical problems of health would be adopted at the session. Azerbaijan`s Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev has been elected a chairman of the session.

Shiraliyev made a remark at the event. The agenda of the session was approved.
President Ilham Aliyev delivered a speech at the session. The Head of State also met with participants of the event.

Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev read out message of Azerbaijan`s first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, MP Mehriban Aliyeva to participants of the event.

Representatives from the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region will discuss a number of issues, including development of the new European policy for health (Health 2020), governance of health in the 21st century, the health divide: European experiences in addressing the social determinants of health, strengthening of health systems in the WHO European Region, including a framework for strengthening public health capacities and services in Europe, action plans on noncommunicable diseases, alcohol, antibiotic resistance, multidrug- resistant/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, a strategy on the WHO Regional Office for Europe`s relations with countries and a policy on WHO/Europe`s geographically dispersed offices and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and WHO reform for a healthy future.


/AzerTAc/

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