The 5th Meeting of the Health Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Hosted by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Health Akmaral Alnazarova, the meeting was attended by Türkiye’s Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Health Teymur Musayev, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Health Erkin Checheybayev, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Health Asilbek Khudayarov, Annamyrat Rejepov, Director General of Infectious Disease Centers under the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, Judit Bidlo, Deputy State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Interior, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev, President of the Turkic Investment Fund Bagdat Amreyev, and WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge.

The meeting commenced with reading a congratulatory message sent by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

In her opening remarks, Minister Alnazarova expressed her pleasure in welcoming the health ministers of OTS member states to Kazakhstan. She recalled President Tokayev's emphasis during the 10th OTS Summit in Astana on enhancing cooperation in the health sector. She proposed declaring 2025 as the "Year of Primary Healthcare" in OTS countries, aiming for collaborative steps in accessibility, equity, and sustainability in healthcare.

Alnazarova emphasized Kazakhstan’s prioritization of digitalization in the health sector, stating, “Our country offers 52 health services, over 90% of which are fully digitalized.” She expressed readiness to share these achievements with fellow OTS countries and voiced support for initiatives to establish a shared infrastructure for organ transplantation among member states.

"Kazakhstan is ready for active cooperation in health within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States," she concluded.

– “Türkiye Attaches Great Importance to Joint Health Projects within OTS”

Speaking at the meeting, Türkiye’s Minister of Health, Kemal Memişoğlu, expressed his appreciation to the Kazakh government for hosting the event and emphasized the deep-rooted bonds of history, culture, and solidarity within the Turkic world.

"As we have consistently stated on various platforms, the Organization of Turkic States is a regional and globally effective cooperation platform. Our organization can produce joint solutions not only in political and economic matters but also in health and humanitarian fields," he stated.

Highlighting the vision of enhancing human resource capacity at the primary healthcare level and strengthening global health diplomacy, Memişoğlu noted that the sustainability of health systems relies heavily on the effectiveness of primary healthcare and the availability of qualified personnel.

He underscored Türkiye’s achievements through ongoing health reforms, including strengthening the family physician system, expanding community-based healthcare, integrating digital solutions, and modernizing hospital infrastructure, all of which have improved healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

"We are eager to share our experience with our fraternal countries under the OTS umbrella," he said.

Memişoğlu also emphasized the importance of global health diplomacy in enabling countries to collaborate in times of crisis, stating, "The COVID-19 pandemic and recent natural disasters have once again highlighted the critical need for solidarity in health."

He called for increased collaboration in joint production capacities, medical supplies, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, sharing that Türkiye recently launched a new process under the “Productive Health System” vision, and that including the Turkic world in this process is one of their core objectives.

He further emphasized the need to counter the isolation faced by Turkish Cypriots, especially in health, stating:
"As the Turkish world, we must show solidarity with our Turkish Cypriot brothers. Türkiye fully supports their just cause and sees the Organization of Turkic States as a family whose support matters deeply."

– Ministers Highlight Collaboration and Strategic Goals

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Health, Teymur Musayev, began by thanking his Kazakh counterpart and healthcare workers for their professional response following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft in Aktau last year.

He noted that OTS has quickly evolved into an effective platform for fostering cooperation among member and observer states. The OTS, he added, fosters not only organizational but also bilateral political, economic, and cultural ties under the leadership of their respective heads of state.

Musayev emphasized the significance of health meetings in fostering contact and experience-sharing among healthcare professionals of member countries.

Kyrgyzstan’s Health Minister Checheybayev acknowledged the existence of certain obstacles to cooperation in the health sector, stating, "We believe that through mutual interaction, we can provide better healthcare services to our people."

Uzbek Minister Khudayarov voiced support for initiatives such as using artificial intelligence in healthcare, enhancing the professional skills of health personnel, and organizing joint training programs within the OTS framework.

OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev stressed that the gathering demonstrated the strong cooperation among member states. He shared that 12 sub-groups were currently working on topics ranging from traditional medicine to digital transformation in healthcare.

At the end of the meeting, the ministers approved the "2025–2026 Action Plan" and signed the Joint Declaration of OTS Health Ministers.

Additionally, memoranda of understanding were signed between competent institutions of member countries in areas such as emergency health services, biosafety, medical education and science, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

The meeting concluded with a family photo session.

 

AA