Russia to Launch SCO Health Organisation
Russia to Launch SCO Health Organisation
Russia has announced plans to set up a new health organisation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO, but NBCentralAsia observers say the initiative is motivated more by political concerns than by a genuine desire to improve healthcare.
On June 10, Dmitry Mezentsev, who is deputy speaker of the Council of the Federation, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, and also chairs the SCO’s Business Council, announced plans to establish an SCO healthcare organisation this year.
The association will be similar to the World Health Organisation, where health ministers from member states work together, he said.
The SCO’s members are China, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Russia holds the chairmanship of the SCO this year.
Tajik political scientist Parviz Mullojanov believes this is yet another Russian initiative designed to boost SCO integration and reduce the West’s influence in the region – with Moscow “taking the lead, as the principal funder”.
“This may be a plan to make certain SCO members less reliant on external assistance from the international community, the United States and the European Union,” he said.
The rector of the South Kazakstan regional medical academy, Igor Samchenko, also sees political motives for creating a regional health organisation, the idea being that the SCO becomes active in various spheres.
“It is a step towards strengthening the SCO as a regional organisation in all areas of life. It’s a continuing process of creating an alternative to NATO. An economic, legal and educational community is being created…. It’s natural that healthcare should be part of this,” he said.
Kyrgyz political scientist Toktogul Kakchekeev calls the new medical organisation “a wonderful initiative that Kyrgyzstan and other SCO members are in dire need of”.
It will help small countries tackle social problems more effectively and fight illnesses like HIV/AIDS and bird flu, he added.
Mullojanov agrees on this point, saying that Tajik medicine lags way behind other SCO member states, so the country stands to benefit greatly from the extra help it might receive.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On June 10, Dmitry Mezentsev, who is deputy speaker of the Council of the Federation, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, and also chairs the SCO’s Business Council, announced plans to establish an SCO healthcare organisation this year.
The association will be similar to the World Health Organisation, where health ministers from member states work together, he said.
The SCO’s members are China, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Russia holds the chairmanship of the SCO this year.
Tajik political scientist Parviz Mullojanov believes this is yet another Russian initiative designed to boost SCO integration and reduce the West’s influence in the region – with Moscow “taking the lead, as the principal funder”.
“This may be a plan to make certain SCO members less reliant on external assistance from the international community, the United States and the European Union,” he said.
The rector of the South Kazakstan regional medical academy, Igor Samchenko, also sees political motives for creating a regional health organisation, the idea being that the SCO becomes active in various spheres.
“It is a step towards strengthening the SCO as a regional organisation in all areas of life. It’s a continuing process of creating an alternative to NATO. An economic, legal and educational community is being created…. It’s natural that healthcare should be part of this,” he said.
Kyrgyz political scientist Toktogul Kakchekeev calls the new medical organisation “a wonderful initiative that Kyrgyzstan and other SCO members are in dire need of”.
It will help small countries tackle social problems more effectively and fight illnesses like HIV/AIDS and bird flu, he added.
Mullojanov agrees on this point, saying that Tajik medicine lags way behind other SCO member states, so the country stands to benefit greatly from the extra help it might receive.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
