Workshop on leadership in health emergencies opens in Istanbul

By Faruk Hanedar and Sercan Irkin

ISTANBUL (AA) – A joint workshop on leadership in health emergencies organized by the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) opened Monday in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The opening ceremony at a hotel was hosted by OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliyev and the WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge.

The program aims to strengthen preparation and intervention capabilities for emergencies and disasters across the region with the participation of around 30 health care workers from the OTS member states as well as officials from Türkiye’s Health Ministry and the WHO.

Based on an action plan signed by Omuraliyev and Kluge last October in Denmark, the workshop, which started with 12-hour online courses, will continue with five days of face-to-face training.

Speaking at the opening of the program, Omuraliyev said he had met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva a few days earlier and emphasized that this program is the first training with OTS-WHO cooperation.

"In the coming period, we plan to continue similar programs with the WHO and ensure the participation of more officials from the Turkic world,” he said.

Omuraliyev also said that Turkic states have strengthened their unity by collaborating in the field of health and that this cooperation has been led by OTS since 2020.

"The world is changing, and new challenges are emerging, especially in the field of health. As you all know very well, issues such as climate change, migration and environmental degradation impose a great burden on our lives and health care systems.

“Turkic states have great potential in this field, and our main goal is to strengthen our joint efforts for our people to develop an effective health care system against the threats mentioned above,” he added.

Kluge also mentioned that they are in crisis times.

"Emergencies are now happening much faster than before. Our experiences in responding to emergencies have shown us the need for leadership and cooperation between countries and organizations," he said.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul