H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a visit to H.E Dr. Fahrettin KOCA, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Türkiye, on July 27, 2023, at the Ministry of Health in Türkiye. The meeting aimed to discuss potential areas of collaboration and strengthen ties between SESRIC and the Ministry of Health of Türkiye within the OIC context.

Türkiye holds the position of a current member of the OIC Steering Committee on Health (SCH) that serves as the implementing body of the Islamic Conference of Health Ministers (ICHM). The SCH, comprising OIC member states, relevant institutions, and international organizations, last met in February 2022 to monitor and follow up on the implementation of the ICHM's actions and resolutions. Within the SCH, Türkiye serves as the Lead Country Coordinator for "Health System Strengthening," a significant thematic area of cooperation in the OIC Strategic Health Programme of Action (OIC-SCHPA: 2014-2023). 

SESRIC regularly submits the "OIC Health Report" to ICHM sessions, contributing to the evaluation of progress within the OIC-SHPA. It has prepared two specific reports on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on OIC countries, as requested by the OIC General Secretariat. SESRIC has organized 24 capacity-building activities in health statistics. In 2023, SESRIC plans to conduct several capacity-building activities in the development of the health sector among OIC countries, including a training course on SDG 3 indicators and a webinar on monitoring health for SDGs in the post-COVID-19 era. 

On the other hand, Türkiye's Ministry of Health participated in workshops on Tobacco Questions for Surveys (TQS) in 2017 and 2018, sharing experiences in tobacco control, including the successful implementation of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Also, the joint project on "Strengthening Coordination and Capacity-Building on Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies in OIC Member States" aimed to build the health workforce capacity of OIC member countries in emergency preparedness and response. SESRIC and the Ministry of Health of Türkiye implemented capacity-building activities in the Republic of Sudan, followed by training courses for Chad, Djibouti, and Somalia. 

The meeting between H.E. SELÇUK and H.E. Dr. KOCA concluded with a significant step towards strengthening health cooperation within the OIC and will contribute to improving health outcomes for member countries. Both institutions look forward to realizing the potential areas of collaboration and working together for benefit of OIC countries.