Iraq Minister of Health endorses healthcare summit

With plans to import more than 1,000 types of multi-purpose drugs, the Ministry of Health in Iraq has been pushing for the development of the healthcare system and has dedicated 26.6% of the country's public healthcare spending budget for this sector.

The Head of the Department of Pharmacy, Jamila Zgayeir Latfa, will present Iraq's pharmaceutical roadmap and strategy at the Iraq Health Summit on March 10th and 11th in Erbil.

The initiative is endorsed by HE Dr Majeed Hamad Amin, Minister of Health of Iraq. In addition to inaugurating the platform, he is addressing an audience of more than 150 Iraqi healthcare officials.

The summit will also be attended by officials from KIMADIA-the state-run authority responsible for the import and distribution of pharmaceutical and medical equipment for all healthcare facilities in the country. KIMADIA Director General, Dr Ihsan Jaffer Ahmed, will contribute to the conversation in the capacity of a speaker and panel discussion moderator.

The two-day platform is being hosted and organised by French business information group naseba, and is the first healthcare summit in Iraq produced by an international company and endorsed by the Ministry of Health.

One of its goals is to connect the country's healthcare leaders with international companies who have the necessary expertise. Among the many international companies present at the summit is GlaxoSmithKline, whose representatives are leading a panel discussion about the improvement of vaccination practices. In addition, representatives from pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca are conducting an educational workshop with a special focus on improving the healthcare reality in Iraq.

"The patronage of HE Dr Amin ensures the Iraq Health Summit is aligned with the goals of the country. Through this relationship, we want to help re-establish the position of Iraq's healthcare system as a leader in the region. Improving the pharmaceutical sector is one of the key steps being taken by the Ministry of Health," explained Fabien Faure, naseba Healthcare Series Director.