ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that Pakistan attaches high importance to its partnership with the Global Fund and appreciates the organisation’s role in supporting public health improvements in developing countries.
He was speaking to a delegation from the Global Fund led by Mark Edington of the Fund’s Grant Management Division.
The delegation also included Senior Portfolio Manager Izaskun Gaviria and Deputy General Counsel Natasha Heffinck.
Welcoming the delegation, Sharif described the Global Fund as a key partner in strengthening Pakistan’s healthcare system, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
He said the government was committed to eliminating tuberculosis, HIV and malaria, and was taking “all-out efforts” to curb the spread of the diseases across the country.
“Your partnership strengthens our efforts to eliminate HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in Pakistan,” Sharif told the delegation.
He also directed the formation of a joint working group between Pakistan and the Global Fund focused on HIV prevention, the statement added.
Officials from the Ministry of National Health Services briefed the delegation on ongoing national programmes aimed at combating TB, HIV and malaria.
The visiting delegation thanked the government for its hospitality and acknowledged Pakistan’s initiatives in tackling infectious diseases.
It reaffirmed the Global Fund’s continued cooperation with Islamabad in efforts to control and eliminate the diseases.
The meeting was also attended by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, and the prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, along with other senior officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026