Health Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries Call for Stopping Israel’s Violations in Occupied Golan
GENEVA, (ST)-The health ministers of the Non-Alignment countries have urged efforts to put an end to the health related violations committed by the Israeli occupation in the Occupied Syrian Golan and the Palestinian territories. They stressed the need to pressure Israel as to lift the siege imposed on the Palestinians in order eliminate its repercussions on the health condition there.
In a statement following the 8th meeting of the Health Ministers of the Non-Alignment Countries which coincides with the currently held 68th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Syrian Health Minister, Dr. Nizar Yazigi said that the delegations of the participating countries urged members in the concerned international organizations and specialized agencies to put an end to Israel’s violations in the occupied Syrian Golan, particularly those relating to the health situation. They also called for work to guarantee right health conditions for the Syrian population there, he added.
Yazigi pointed out that the ministers stressed the importance of building good health care systems that are able to comply with different challenges. They urged all countries to implement their obligations provided in the political declaration of 2011 regarding AIDS disease, the minister said, adding that the participants also focused on enhancing the opportunities of ensuring medicine and medical care to all.
On her part, Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, said the organization has established a new program for health emergency with special performance standards that specify what should happen within 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours not months after announcing the pandemic, noting that the world wasn’t ready enough to combat Ebola.
Dr. Yazigi continues to hold consultations with the health ministers of several participating friendly countries. In this context he held meetings yesterday with the health ministers of Cuba and Belarus. Talks focused on boosting health cooperation and on reactivating signed agreements particularly in ensuring quality medicine in order to alleviate the repercussions of the European-American economic sanctions imposed on Syria.
Hamda Mustafa