A SESRIC delegation participated in the 8^th Session of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM), held on 7–9 October 2025 in Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the theme “Health is Our Shared Responsibility.” The delegation was led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and included Dr. Esat BAKIMLI.

The Session brought together Ministers of Health and other high-level representatives from OIC Member States, as well as relevant OIC institutions, including SESRIC and COMSTECH, alongside international partners. The Conference provided a platform for Member States to review the health situation in the OIC region, share experiences and lessons learned, and deliberate on ways to strengthen collective action in addressing pressing health challenges.

The 8^th Session came after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had postponed the regular convening of the Conference since its previous session in December 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. The programme consisted of two main segments. The Senior Officials Meeting, held on the first day, preceded the Ministerial Session and set the stage for the deliberations by reviewing technical reports and draft resolutions. SESRIC actively contributed to this segment through the presentation of two key technical inputs. The first was the Technical Report on the Extension of the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action 2014–2023 (OIC-SHPA), recommending an interim extension period. The second was a progress report on the operationalization of the OIC Health Portal, outlining recent developments and future steps.

During the Ministerial Session, H.E. SELÇUK addressed the meeting, highlighting SESRIC’s contributions to evidence-based research, statistical monitoring through OICStat, and capacity-building programmes to support stronger health systems in Member States. Following her address, Dr. BAKIMLI presented SESRIC’s OIC Health Report 2025, which provides a comprehensive assessment of health performance across Member States and identifies priority areas for collective action. The report was officially launched during the Conference.

Reflecting the Centre’s active engagement in the Session and its long-standing contributions to the health domain, several key outcomes of the Conference directly related to SESRIC’s work. The Conference expressed appreciation for SESRIC’s contributions, endorsed the interim extension of the OIC-SHPA as recommended in SESRIC’s technical report, and confirmed SESRIC’s continued membership in both the OIC Steering Committee on Health (SCH) and the Lead Country Coordinators Group (LCCG). It also recognized the importance of the OIC Health Portal as a strategic platform for information sharing and cooperation among Member States and partners.

The Conference concluded with the adoption of the Amman Declaration and a set of resolutions outlining Member States’ collective commitments to advancing health cooperation in line with OIC frameworks and global health goals. The outcome documents can be accessed on the OIC website.

Building on these outcomes, SESRIC remains committed to supporting Member States through data-driven research, statistical development, and capacity-building initiatives, and will continue to work closely with OIC and international partners to implement the Conference’s decisions and strengthen collective action in the health sector.

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