Azerbaijan pushes for greater focus on green hospitals to enhance healthcare sustainability (PHOTO)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 24. The VIII meeting of
health ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is
taking place in the Chinese city of Xi’an, Trend reports via the
Azerbaijani Health Ministry.

“Azerbaijan, which has the status of SCO dialog partner, is
represented at the international event by a delegation headed by
Health Minister Teymur Musayev.

Minister of the National Health Commission of the People’s
Republic of China Lei Haichao made an opening speech. Welcoming the
participants of the meeting, he noted that the most important topic
on the agenda of the current meeting is to discuss issues of
effective coordination of activities in such key areas of health
care as emergency medical care, primary health care, digital health
and traditional medicine.

In his speech, Azerbaijani Health Minister Teymur Musayev
stressed the high level of organization of the meeting of the SCO
Health Ministers. The Minister recalled that on July 3, 2024,
within the framework of the SCO summit held in Astana, the Joint
Declaration on Establishing Strategic Partnership between the
Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China was
adopted: “ President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an interview
with Chinese agency Xinhua called the adoption of the Joint
Declaration a historic event opening a new page in Azerbaijan-China
relations”.

Moreover, it was noted that a Joint Statement between the
Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China on the
establishment of relations of comprehensive strategic partnership
was signed in Beijing on April 23, 2025 within the state visit of
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the
People’s Republic of China: “The state visit of President Ilham
Aliyev to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping
will further strengthen and accelerate the development of our
bilateral relations.”

“Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, implementation
of socially oriented policy, transition to digital state
governance, and economic diversification have contributed to
strengthening Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and its role as a leading
country in the region. As the head of state noted, the unanimous
decision to hold COP29 in Baku last November is an indicator of
great respect and trust of the international community in our
country. Reducing the negative impact of environmental pollution on
the health of the population and promoting a healthy lifestyle are
key priorities of the Azerbaijani government,” Teymur Musayev
noted.

According to the Minister, in recent years, global health has
faced both achievements and significant challenges due to factors
such as pandemics and environmental changes. However, global crises
offer opportunities for positive transformation and should be seen
as milestones on the road to progress: “The future development of
health systems is likely to be driven by technological advances,
the widespread use of data analytics, and the move towards
personalized medicine. In the face of a global shortage of medical
personnel, a new helper – artificial intelligence (AI) – is coming
to our aid. One of its key contributions is to increase access to
healthcare, particularly by strengthening primary care systems.
However, to fully integrate AI, it is necessary to create an
appropriate legislative framework to ensure effective utilization
of the practical capabilities of artificial intelligence,” the
Minister added.

He emphasized that despite the obvious advantages of digital
solutions, they should not replace the human factor, but only
complement it: “Digital technologies should act as auxiliary tools,
allowing medical professionals to pay more attention to patient
care.”

The Minister paid special attention to the sustainability of
health care systems. He emphasized the importance of reducing the
negative impact on the environment, reducing energy consumption,
and improving the sustainability of healthcare facilities. “For
this purpose, it is necessary to more actively implement the
concept of “green hospitals” and invest in improving the energy
efficiency of healthcare facilities. Investments in the healthcare
sector are investments in our common future,” Teymur Musayev
concluded.

Heads of government agencies involved in healthcare activities
of the SCO member states spoke about the main areas of cooperation
of the SCO member states in the field of healthcare. They noted
that all the countries of the region support the active expansion
of cooperation in this area.

In conclusion, the participants of the meeting exchanged views
on the development of national health care systems, the role of
international organizations, increasing the capacity of medical and
pharmaceutical personnel, as well as on the prospects for
cooperation in the areas of primary health care, digital health and
traditional medicine,” the information notes.