CONFERENCE HAS HUGE RESPONSIBILITY - MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- The Islamic Health Ministers Conference
has a huge responsibility to improve the health status and address the pressing
health issues of its member states.

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said, while many member states had shown
marked improvement in their respective health status, others had not reached the
desired level.

"It is therefore, important that the Resolutions and Declarations of
Ministerial Conferences be implemented effectively and it is our responsibility
as members to actively ensure that this is happening," he said at the opening
ceremony of the Second Islamic Health Ministers Conference in Tehran, Iran
on Tuesday.

Liow's statement was released by the ministry here.

Liow, who was chairman of the first conference in 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, said
it (first conference) had adopted 10 resolutions, including self-reliance
programme on vaccine production, global polio eradication programme, combating
malaria and tobacco control.

"I am pleased to report to this Second Conference that we have hosted the
first meeting of the Interim Steering Committee in Kuala Lumpur as required by
the First Conference declaration," he added.
-- BERNAMA