Promoting equal access to medicine and medical equipment is one of the main goals of the 27th Expert Meeting of the Group5 Member Countries
Dr. Bahram Einollahi stated during the opening ceremony of the 27th expert meeting of the Group5 member countries, titled "Health Diplomacy: Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Systems," health diplomacy is now a common point of diplomacy in all countries, which can lead to comprehensive cooperation among neighbors and friendly countries in the region.
Report from: Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, International Affairs Office
Published on: 4 October 2023
The Minister of Health, considers fair access to medicine and medical equipment as one of the main goals of the Group5 and emphasizes the development of cooperation among member countries in the fields of production, distribution, and expansion of trade in medicine and medical equipment.
Dr. Bahram Einollahi stated during the opening ceremony of the 27th expert meeting of the Group5 member countries, titled "Health Diplomacy: Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Systems," health diplomacy is now a common point of diplomacy in all countries, which can lead to comprehensive cooperation among neighbors and friendly countries in the region.
He stated that in this meeting, we will discuss medicine, and medical equipment, saying: The Group 5 countries should move towards accepting each other's pharmaceutical and medical equipment production and take steps towards creating a common market for health products to meet the needs and requirements of the region in the field of health.
The Minister of Health, stated: “The collective work carried out between the Group5 countries in the three previous meetings indicates the good cooperation of these countries in various aspects of the health system. In the previous meeting, we witnessed good decisions regarding blood transfusion among the Group5 countries, and we hope to achieve good agreements in the field of medicine and medical equipment in this meeting as well”.
Dr. Einollahi stated that the future meeting of the Group 5 will focus on "women's health" and added: In the upcoming meeting, which will be attended by the First Lady of Iran, we will discuss "women's health".
Referring to the various possibilities for cooperation in the field of health among regional countries, he added: We can have joint cooperation in the fields such as research, scientific publications, educational and medical cooperation, nursing, dentistry, mental health.
The Minister of Health stated: Iran has been under the cruelest sanctions for the past 44 years, but as it was showcased at the International Exhibition of Pharmaceuticals and Related Industries "Iran Pharma" despite these sanctions, we have made significant progress in the production of pharmaceutical raw materials, medicine, and medical equipment, and we now produce more than 97% of our pharmaceutical needs and 40% of our advanced medical equipment at home.
Dr. Einollahi added that if there is more cooperation between neighboring countries, we can improve production, saying: “Iran is ready for economic participation with regional countries in the field of health. We can have joint production in the field of health and meet the region's needs in this area”.
He emphasized that our main goal is fair access to medicine, medical equipment, and the promotion of public health in the region, saying: “People in the region have the right to health. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the disease is not limited to one country, and we cannot succeed without cooperation. Health is created through collaboration, and the Group5 initiative facilitates these collaborations to improve the health status among all countries in the region”.
The Minister of Health, referring to the fact that the Group5 countries should share their laws and regulations regarding the production and distribution of drugs, said, "Today, we are able to alleviate the problems related to diseases in our region by producing advanced biotech drugs and utilizing the achievements of biotechnology and nanotechnology”.
Dr. Einollahi expressed hope that the Group5 meetings would be practical and that their results would be seen in the implementation processes. He mentioned, "I will be traveling to Cairo next week and will follow up on the results of today's meeting in my meeting with the Ministers of Health of the Group5 countries."
He announced that the Group5 has changed into the G Plus with the inclusion of Tajikistan in the past month, indicating the health cooperation among neighboring countries.
The collaborations of the G5 are a manifestation of health diplomacy
Dr. Mohammad Hossein Niknam, the Special Assistant to the Minister and Director-General of International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the collaborations of the G5 countries as a manifestation of health diplomacy and highlighted the importance of realizing the 27th meeting's theme on "Equitable Access to Medicines and Medical Equipment."
Dr. Niknam stated during the opening ceremony of the 27th specialized meeting of G5 member countries, titled "Health Diplomacy: Medicines and Medical Equipment Systems,” was held in Tehran in September of last year at the invitation of the Minister of Health of the Islamic Republic of Iran to revive the G5 Memorandum of Understanding.
Referring to the fact that shortly after the 69th session of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (EMRO) in Egypt, the one-year activities of the G5 group were agreed upon by its members, Dr. Niknam said that the first program of this group was the meeting of blood transfusion managers and experts, which took place in February 2023, hosted by the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization and attended by G5 members.
The Special Assistant to the Minister and Director-General of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health stated that the 26th specialized meeting and the first training program for senior health managers of this group were held with rich content and high-quality training on three main areas: "Health System with a Primary Healthcare Approach," "Control and Prevention of Communicable Diseases," and "Cross-Border Cooperation in Mass Gatherings." The outcome was an agreement on a four-year program consisting of 21 priorities and 81 activities.
Dr. Niknam reminded that the G5 group, which has become the G5+ with the membership of Tajikistan, discusses the important topic of Medicines and medical equipment in the current meeting, with the participation of officials and stakeholders of member countries for appropriate discussions, conversations, and decision-making for cooperation.
He noted that the planning was done in a way that the 27th G5 meeting coincides with the 8th International Pharma Exhibition "Iran Pharma," and the G5 members' visit to the exhibition simultaneously. He emphasized that the 27th meeting will continue for two days with discussions on the following topics: "Regulatory Structure of Medicines and Medical Equipment and Exchange of Successful Experiences among G5 Members," "Quality Management System, Regulations, and Monitoring Methods for the Quality of Medical Equipment in the Group" and "Procurement and Supply of Medicines and Medical Equipment in the G5+ Countries."
Dr. Niknam, expressed that the collaborations of the G5 Health Diplomacy are a manifestation of health diplomacy. Health diplomacy has been accompanied by significant achievements in regional and international role-playing during the thirteenth government.
Dr. Niknam added that active diplomacy in the health field has always facilitated closer relations between governments and nations in the region. Islamic countries, through health diplomacy, can provide the foundations for sustainable development, improved health indicators, regional economic growth, social development, and the establishment of a union of harmonious countries more than ever before.
He emphasized that the food, medicines, and medical equipment are essential elements in improving community health, and their provision has always been a priority for public governments. The 27th meeting of the G5 member countries focuses on creating a platform to deepen interactions among member states in the field of medicines and medical equipment.
Dr. Niknam concluded by expressing hope that in this meeting, with the cooperation of all members and the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and achievements of member countries in the field of medicines and medical equipment, we can create the necessary foundation to achieve the slogan of "Equitable Access to Medicines and Medical Equipment."
The necessity of introducing selection criteria for essential medicines and medical equipment for G5 member countries
The Deputy Minister and Head of the Food and Drug Organization has proposed the establishment of a working group among the G5 member countries, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), to develop essential medicines and medical equipment selection criteria for member states government support.
Dr. Seyed Heydar Mohammadi stated during the expert meeting of the G5 member countries that: “Iran has more than 3,500 generic drugs, over 30,000 medicines with Iran registration code (IRC), 350,000 and over 30,000 types of medical equipment and supplies. He emphasized that there is a list of essential medicines in the country and the Iranian government supports domestic production of medicines and medical equipment.
The Deputy Minister of Health also mentioned that all pharmaceutical items and medical supplies produced domestically are eligible for foreign currency and insurance support. If a drug is not produced domestically and is imported, it receives support through both insurance and foreign currency allocation. Preferential exchange rates are also applied, with infant formula and medical equipment receiving 8% of the actual value of foreign exchange and medicines receiving 50%, which significantly reduces the consumer price.
Dr. Mohammadi highlighted that governments, due to financial resource management, has developed lists of essential drugs to support them. He suggested that with the assistance of the WHO, a unified set of criteria for selecting essential medicines and medical equipment should be developed through the formation of a working group involving the G5 member countries.
According to Dr. Mohammadi, some medicines such as Amiodarone, Insulin, and Epinephrine are considered essential and require support. However, for medicines that have alternative substitutes or multiple options available, government support in this regard is not necessary. He emphasized that by establishing a joint working group among the G5 member countries, relevant experiences and strengths can be shared, leading to the development of a unified list.
Copyright © 2023 Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. Date updated: 04/10/2023
Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us on: internationaloffice@zaums.ac.ir
comment