WHO, Turkic Council implement cooperation agreement

ANKARA

A memorandum of understanding between The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (CCTS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop cooperation began operation.

Secretary-General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev and the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri Kluge discussed the establishment of a united action plan for health and collaboration during a two-day consultation meeting, according to a statement by the WHO's.

The two groups "agreed to advocate for health jointly and to further facilitate the exchange of information and experience among the Member States. An action plan will be finalized in the coming weeks, and activities are scheduled to begin immediately," said the statement.

As a part of the European Programme of Work on the united action plan for health and collaboration, Amreyev and Kluge exchanged views about a range of issues, including potential capacity-building activities for protection during health emergencies as well as progress toward universal health coverage.

Also discussed were antimicrobial resistance and non-communicable diseases in member states.

Touching on the "excellent relations" between the WHO and Turkic Council member states, Kluge said: "The memorandum of understanding builds on the already robust alliance with them and with coordinating stakeholders in and across countries."

The meetings also emphasized the importance of establishing further WHO collaborating centers across member states to assist with the implementation of health priorities.

The two groups signed the agreement Sept. 11 to develop cooperation.

The Turkic Council was established in 2009 as an intergovernmental organization to promote comprehensive cooperation among Turkic speaking states.