Azerbaijani delegation attends 75th Session of WHO Regional Committee for Europe
Baku, October 29, AZERTAC
The 75th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Europe got underway in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
The event brings together the health ministers of the 53 member states of the Regional Committee — the highest governing body of the WHO European Region — as well as representatives of international organizations and other officials. Azerbaijan is represented at the session by a delegation led by Minister of Health Teymur Musayev.
Addressing the opening ceremony, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the current challenges facing global health and outlined the measures undertaken by the Organization to address these issues.
In turn, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Henri Kluge provided an overview of the Organization’s activities since the previous session.
The session’s agenda was then presented for discussion, covering key topics such as the next five-year “European Programme of Work 2026–2030,” elections to the governing bodies, and the approval of strategic health initiatives.
During the session, health ministers and other senior officials from member states delivered their statements.
In his address, Minister of Health Teymur Musayev emphasized that the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan highly values the initiatives of the WHO Regional Office for Europe aimed at shaping the health systems of the future and supports the transformation of national healthcare systems of member states.
“The three main priorities identified in the European Programme of Work are fully aligned with the future directions of Azerbaijan’s national healthcare system,” the Minister noted.
Musayev highlighted that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has implemented significant measures to strengthen the national healthcare system, enhance human capital, and advance the digitalization of healthcare over the recent years.
“The improvement of citizens’ health and social well-being has been identified as one of the key priorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development strategy. Given the increase in life expectancy, health must remain a top priority,” he added.
On the role of artificial intelligence, big data, and digital solutions in healthcare development, Musayev stated: “To fully harness the potential of these technologies, it is essential to integrate artificial intelligence within legislative frameworks and ensure its responsible and ethical use. However, digital tools should not replace human labor; they should play a supportive and complementary role in professional activities.”
During the session, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Health was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (SCRC) for the 2025–2028 period.
The election of the Azerbaijani representative to the Committee will contribute to the further strengthening of the country’s role in international health policy and will facilitate its active participation in the decision-making processes within the WHO European Region.
Additionally, the Azerbaijani Minister of Health held a series of bilateral meetings on the margins of the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe. The first meeting was held with Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. During the discussions, special emphasis was placed on the existence of strong, high-level relations with leading international health organizations, including the World Health Organization.
During the meeting with the former Prime Minister of Iceland and Chair of the Pan European Commission on Climate and Health, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Teymur Musayev highlighted the excellent organization of the COP29 Conference in Azerbaijan last year. Katrín Jakobsdóttir commended Azerbaijan’s support for health initiatives aimed at addressing climate-related issues during COP29.
The 75th session of the European Regional Committee will continue its work with panel discussions on various topics and will conclude on October 30.
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