TURKEY BECOMES THE CENTRE OF HEALTH ECONOMICS FOR ISLAMIC COUNTRIES WITH THE VALUE OF 70 BILLION DOLLARS
WIHU’18 Expo and Congress was very efficient.
150 Civil Society Organizations, governments, universities and health sector representatives from 63 countries participated in the event named “World Islamic Health Unions Congress & Expo WIHU’18” organized for the third time in this year with the main theme of “Development in Health within Islamic Perspective” in ISTANBUL Harbiye Military Museum and Congress Hall within December 15 and 17, 2018 by World Islamic Health Union and Sağlık-Der. The opening speech was made by Ekrem ELZEND, the WIHU USA Council Member, for USA, Hüsniye Emin, the WIHU European Council Member, for Europe, Zehra ALI, the WIHU African Council Member, for Africa, and Prof. Dr. Suhaini KADIMAN, the Chairman of Malaysia PAPISMA, for Asia. In the opening speeches, Damir BULCEVIC, Bosnia - Herzegovina Brchko Region Prime Minister, emphasized on the unity of Bosnia - Herzegovina and Turkey and the importance of congress and programs related to health. Specialist Kasım SEZEN, the Chairman of World Islamic Health Union, focused on the importance of mutual studies by stating that
“Today, drugs and medical devices take quite a large place in the foreign trade of Islamic countries in the world. Approximately $ 70 billion worth of medicines and medical devices are imported from the west. These drugs and medical devices can be produced by Islamic countries in solidarity and traded. We will provide this opportunity, today, with this expo and mutual interviews. Civil society organizations can reach where governments cannot, do what they cannot. We, as civil society organizations, will mobilize our professional knowledge, financial opportunities and organizational capabilities. Today, we have hundreds of thousands of well-trained doctors and health professionals in the Islamic world. There are tens of thousands of hospitals. We have strong governments that finance the health sector. I hope to see the benediction and blessing of acting together.”
On the first day of the congress, the Summit of Ministers with the subject of “Health Projections of Islamic Countries and Importance of Civil Society Organizations in Providing Health Services” moderated by Dr. Yavuz Selim Sılay took place with the participation of Dr. Alma MEHMEDOVIC, Bosnia – Herzegovina Brchko Region Minister of Health, Dr. Resmiye Skenderi MUMCI, the former Minister of Health of Kosovo, Dr. Mamosai ZEWAR, the Deputy Minister of Health of Afghanistan, and Madaminzhan KARATAEV, the Deputy Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan.
In addition to the panels throughout the congress, Women's Health Forum, Migrant Health Forum, Health Tourism Forum, American Forum, Asian Forum, African Forum, European Forum, Ummah Youth Forum, Inter-University Meetings, Health Entrepreneurship Competition were held. In Health Tourism Forum, Dr. Mehmet Hakkı ALMA, the Rector of Iğdır University and Ali Kemal KADİROĞLU, the Vice Rector of Dicle University made speeches. On the last day of the program, a consultation meeting was held with NGO representatives and Dr. Kasım Sezen was re-elected to the Chair of the World Islamic Health Union.
52 firms from Health Tourism Hotels, Medical Sector carrying out domestic production in Turkey, and Private Hospitals participated in WIHU’18 Expo. Expo participants expressed their satisfaction from WIHU’18 which brought procurement councils from abroad.
Prof. Dr. Doğan ÜNAL, the Chairman of the Congress, remarked the status of Islamic world in the final declaration.
