Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova who is now in St Petersburg for the CIS IPA proceedings spoke at the international conference ‘Comprehensive Coverage by Health Care Services and the Sustainable Development Goals’ on 25 November.

In her speech, the Chair of the Milli Majlis underlined the importance of the conference in the light of the raging COVID-19 pandemic that had necessitated a comprehensive coverage by health care services and the sustainable development goals for until 2030 as relevant and significant as never before.

‘One of the key tasks in the comprehensive coverage by health care services today is to make treatment accessible for all. I consider that the world can get closer to that goal through qualitative and quantitative increases in health care in all the countries and through more energetic actions on the national levels,’ Mrs Gafarova said.

As she was informing the international conference participants of the health care in Azerbaijan, the leader of the Azerbaijani parliament noted that the progress of the national health care system, its logistical basis and human resources becoming more robust had always been in the focus of the state administration. The social policy pursued by the leadership of the country causes the annual rises in health care funding at the expense of the state budget, which makes it possible to improve the work of medical institutions and raise the overall quality of the services.

‘More than 700 hospitals have been rebuilt and refurbished in our country in the eighteen years past. The medical institutions are up to the highest standards. Steps are taken determinedly to improve the health care and the quality of health services alike. More than 5 million people take medical check-ups at the state expense in Azerbaijan every year.’

‘Compulsory medical insurance is being implemented for better quality of medical services in the country and to ensure public access to them. The State Compulsory Medical Insurance Agency was established for this purpose in 2016.’

‘I would like to mention specially the Heydar Aliyev Foundation led by the First Vice President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva and its exceptional services in the implementation of a string of state health care programmes. The Fund has fulfilled numerous large projects concerned with arrangement of diabetes mellitus and thalassemia patient care and treatment. Besides, there have been blood donation campaigns and improvements in maternal and infants’ health care protection under the Fund’s umbrella.’

‘Ensuring the comprehensive coverage by health care services by 2030 is one of the tasks included in the scope of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Azerbaijan is the first state in its region and one of the 12 countries of the world that have come up with their 3^rd voluntary national progress reports regarding the Agenda for until 2030. Having scored 72.4 out of the possible 100 in the Sustainable Development Goals Progress Index, Azerbaijan is the 55^th amongst the 165 countries in the Sustainable Development Report for until 2021, which is the highest achievement in the region. Moreover, ‘human health’ is a component of one of the 5 national priorities of national socio-economic development for the period till 2030.’

‘It is worth mentioning that the last years came as a crash test for health care systems the world over. Regrettably, not even the most advanced countries possessing colossal scientific and intellectual potentials and advanced health technologies succeed in preventing the coronavirus epidemic from spreading. When the onslaught of the pandemic upon the world came at the beginning of last year, Azerbaijan – despite the continued occupation of 20 per cent of its internationally-recognised territory, the constant military provocations on Armenia’s part and the presence of more than a million IDP – took serious steps to ensure a timely and adequate response to the threats emanating from the spread of the infection.’

The Chair of the Milli Majlis also touched on the role of the Azerbaijani parliament in the struggle against the pandemic.

‘Along with extensive debates on the problem, including at the meetings of the parliamentary committees, certain legislative acts were amended to curb the growth in coronavirus infection cases amongst the population,’ Sahiba Gafarova mentioned.

‘At the same time, Azerbaijan put forward a number of initiatives to mobilise the global effort to fight COVID-19 – including under the aegis of the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement. In particular, our country has often and publicly stated its displeasure at the so-called ‘vaccine nationalism’ and the wealthy countries purchasing vaccines in quantities in excess of their actual needs. As you know, a resolution entitled ‘Ensuring the Equitable, Affordable, Timely and Universal Access for All Countries to Vaccines in Response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic’ on 17 November this year. That resolution had been motioned on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement Member-States by the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mr Ilham Aliyev acting as Chair of the NAM. Let me say that 126 UN Member-States joined the resolution as co-authors.’

‘Azerbaijan made a voluntary financial donation in the amount of USD 10 million to the World Health Organisation. In addition, we supplied more than 30 countries with both humanitarian and financial aid in their struggle against the coronavirus. Azerbaijan provided several countries with vaccine doze batches at no charge.’

Concluding her speech, Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova voiced a confidence that the parliamentarians would take every action possible on their plane to ensure comprehensive safety of the public health, thusly making a certain contribution to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages as one of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The meeting of the CIS IPA Council followed. At it, Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova talked about the agenda item on the outcomes of the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum.

On the whole, the forum had had a positive angle in that it had maintained live communication of women at the various topical sessions, according to Madame Speaker. Arguably, every discussion helps, in this way or other, seek answers to the questions that concern the region’s women today. Women play a great part in forming the peace and trust agendas, economic and health care development, social changes and elaboration of diverse projects aiming to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis