WHO council for partnership with public, private sectors launched

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO), along with Pakistan and 20 prominent business leaders, has launched the first WHO Council for Partnership with the Public and Private Sectors.

The Council aims to improve public health, strengthen national health systems, and accelerate progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global health commitments.

The Council was launched in a ceremony led by WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr Hanan Balkhy, the Chair of the new WHO Pakistan Public-Private Council, Aziz Memon, Pakistan’s Federal Secretary for Health and Co-Chair of the Council, Muhammad Aslam Ghauri, WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Luo Dapeng, and 20 founding members from the business sector and academia.

“The Council brings business and philanthropic leaders together to build a healthier and more prosperous future for Pakistan and for the Region. Working as partners will allow WHO and the Council to amplify our collective advocacy to move health higher up the national agenda; consolidate our strengths in financing, technology, logistics, infrastructure, networks and expertise; and build a durable, long-term partnership that promotes a healthier future for everyone, no matter where they live or who they are,” said Dr Balkhy.

For his part, Aziz Memon – Chair of the Council representing the business sector – underlined that this initiative will bring business leaders and WHO together to build a more prosperous Pakistan. “This Council is the place where Pakistan’s prosperity and Pakistan’s health finally sit at the same table and where business leadership can take its rightful place to promote the health of its own people, with the World Health Organization as our trusted partner. This Council is a way for that generosity to move forward together, with structure, with safeguards, and with the reach of the World Health Organization behind it, so that what each of us does alone becomes unstoppable when we do it together.”

Federal Secretary for Health Muhammad Aslam Ghauri – Co-Chair of the Council – emphasised that the Government of Pakistan “stands with the Council” to advance national health priorities. “Our national vision is clear: universal health coverage for every Pakistani, charted through our National Health Strategy 2026-2035. This Council could not arrive at a better moment as we begin a 10-year national journey that calls for all sectors of society to play their part, because no government anywhere achieves these goals alone.”

WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Luo Dapeng highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in maximising the power of medical science to improve and save lives.

“The greatest contribution of this Council may never appear on a checkbook. It will be spoken about in boardrooms, across industries and within circles of influence, where business leaders’ advocacy can play a vital role in building a healthier Pakistan. WHO will be your vessel as we work together to build a healthier future for everyone, regardless of social or economic status. A healthier nation is also a more prosperous nation. Together, we can put medical science at the service of building a stronger Pakistan, and WHO will always stand with Pakistan and its people.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026