Baghdad: Iraqi Minister of Health Dr. Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today with his Saudi counterpart Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in key health sectors between Iraq and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Ministry of Health stated that the MoU includes cooperation in capacity building for healthcare services, developing investment in the health sector, managing medical referrals, enhancing digital health and virtual medicine, and advancing preventive medicine, public health programs, and mass gathering medicine and its management. It also aims to improve preparedness for epidemic response and implement early preventive measures.
Joint technical committees will be formed between the two ministries to follow up on the implementation of the MoU’s provisions and coordinate across various programs and projects. This collaboration is expected to contribute to the support of health systems and the exchange of expertise based on best regional and international practices.
The agreement was signed during Minister Al-Hasnawi’s official visit to Saudi Arabia, following an invitation from the Saudi side and in the presence of Iraq’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Safia Al-Suhail. The visit included formal talks focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector.
The two sides also explored prospects for cooperation in several key areas, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, localizing drug production in Iraq, and providing medical supplies. They emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise in mass gathering medicine, particularly through organizing conferences, expert visits, and knowledge exchange.
Discussions also covered benefiting from Saudi Arabia’s experience in digital health transformation, particularly in medical data preservation and digitization of health records, as well as cooperation in pharmacy, drug registration, joint research and training programs, and public health awareness and education.