Health Minister Abdul Hussein Al-Mousawi affirmed on Wednesday that primary healthcare and health insurance are two key pillars for developing the health sector, noting that Iraq has extensive experience in responding to emergencies and exceptional circumstances.

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on the sidelines of his participation in the 73rd session of the World Health Organization’s Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held in Cairo, Al-Mousawi said that Iraq had presented its perspective on developments and issues requiring coordinated efforts among the countries that are members of the WHO.

“There are major challenges, as the experiences we went through in 2019 and 2020, with the emergence of the coronavirus, prompted all countries to maintain continuous communication. Preventing a recurrence of such a situation requires a high level of comprehensive coordination among the countries that are members of the World Health Organization,” he said.

Al-Mousawi explained that the region was also experiencing considerable tensions and that emergencies required discussion and the exchange of views. He added that Iraq had presented the efforts of successive governments to improve the health situation, along with its vision for reforming the health insurance programme, which has been in place in Iraq for two years and constitutes a foundation for the country’s future healthcare system.