Pakistan, US discuss ways to enhance cooperation in healthcare sector

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the US on Monday deliberated on ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of healthcare, with a special focus on research and development.

The discussion was held here during a meeting between caretaker Federal Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan who called on US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome.

The discussions centered on establishing a Pakistani Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global health security, childhood immunizations, Covid-19 like diseases, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases. The US envoy appreciated the government’s commitment and the unprecedented efforts of the healthcare workers in eradicating polio.

Dr Jan expressed the national leadership’s commitment to using all its strength and resources to contain all vaccine-preventable diseases. He said that both sides within the past two years of health dialogue have identified areas of mutual engagement and established an action plan to reach shared goals.

Issues pertaining to the health sector and of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting. The US ambassador appreciated the actions and reforms taken by the health minister in a short period of time. Dr Jan took important steps to keep the country and world safe from epidemics and diseases, said the US ambassador.

The minister informed that the Government of Pakistan has successfully organised the Global Health Security Summit in Islamabad.

The US ambassador appreciated the vision of the Global Health Security Agenda and said that this was the need of the hour. In this context, the USA will cooperate to advance the agenda of global health security.

The situation of nutrition in Pakistan was also discussed between both dignitaries. Dr Jan informed that the Ministry of Health has formulated an integrated strategy to control malnutrition. A task force on nutrition has been formed which will ensure coordinated actions between the federation and the provinces, donors, stakeholders, said the health minister.

The minister also informed that the health authorities of the country have formulated an integrated strategy to eradicate polio. He said that our polio workers are working on the front lines. Under this integrated strategy, the services of polio workers will be utilised in other areas of the health sector like family planning, nutrition, immunisation programme etc.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024