Economic cooperation: Pakistan & Azerbaijan exploring opportunities in health sector

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to expand economic cooperation, Pakistan and Azerbaijan have started exploring opportunities in the health sector, Ministry for National Health Services and Regulations officials said.

In this connection, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Pakistan Khazar Farhadov, Tuesday, held a meeting with caretaker Federal Minister for National Health Services Dr Nadeem Jan.

During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest, including bilateral cooperation in the field of health.

The participants decided that both the countries will take further steps after the conclusion of the Global Health Security Summit which is to be held in Islamabad next month.

The Azerbaijani government is also keen to expand mutual cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan and appreciated the government’s initiative to establish a pharmaceutical park.

The federal minister of health briefed the ambassador on the healthcare initiatives being undertaken in Pakistan.

He said that the government of Pakistan is focusing on increasing the country’s pharma exports to $5 billion within the next five years and in this connection is providing all the required facilities to the local industry.

“We are implementing concerted measures to protect the public from diseases and epidemics,” the minister said and highlighted ongoing efforts to improve the availability of medicines and the establishment of a pharmaceutical park in Pakistan.

The minister emphasized to utilise technology transfer for molecular manufacturing in Pakistan. The minister informed that Pakistan is hosting the first Global Health Security Summit. This summit will bring together top health leaders, officials, and technical experts from around the globe.

The health leadership of Azerbaijan is expected to reach out to the government of Pakistan to discuss these initiatives. In the field of medicine, both countries will benefit from sharing experiences, and there is cooperation in allowing medical students from both nations to enrol in government-approved universities, the ambassador said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023