YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The first Pan-Armenian Medical Conference convened in Yerevan on Tuesday–with 550 specialists attending. Three hundred specialists arrived from the US–Canada–France–Lebanon–and Zambia–among others countries. The conference is organized by the Armenian Health Care Ministry–Armenian and Diaspora medical organizations–and the International Organization of Armenian Doctors.
The chairman of the Pan-Armenian Medical Conference administrative committee Jean Arakelian–said the goal of the conference is to unite specialists from Armenia and the Diaspora. "We are ready to support reforms in the health care system of our homeland," he stressed.
The minister of Education and Science Sergo Yeritsian–said Armenia has become an international center in preparing medical specialists. Presently–800 students from various countries study in the country; 2,000 have graduated from the Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University.
During the last decade–the infant mortality rate has decreased in Armenia; according to Deputy Health Care Minister Hayk Darbinian–the decrease reflects improvemen’s in the socio-economic conditions of the country. In 1990–the figure stood at 18.5; in 2002–14.5–much lower than the average rate in CIS countries–but higher than EU countries.
Aggressive investmen’s were made in the prevention and management of infection diseases; cases of diphtheria–German measles–malaria have thus decreased. And in 2002–the World Health Organization (WHO) classified Armenia as a poliomyelitis-free country.
Working with the World Bank affiliate International Development Organization–Armenia created an institute for family medicine. Medical centers were established–and chairs of family medicine were created at the National Institute of Health Care and Yerevan State Medical University. Before the close of the program in September 2003–more than 70 out-patient departmen’s around Armenia will be modernized.