Islamabad, 27 October 2023 (TDI): In a meeting with Health Minister, Dr. Nadeem Jan, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome said that Pak-US cooperation in the health sector would be further strengthened, on October 26.
USAID Mission Director Kate Somvongsiri accompanied the US Ambassador to Pakistan.
The US Ambassador described the collaboration between the US government and the Ministry of National Health Services as excellent.
Dr. Nadeem conveyed his appreciation for the US Government’s strong, unwavering, and goal-oriented assistance in the health sector.
He specifically mentioned the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control’s ongoing help in this area.
Moreover, the group decided to go forward with more collaboration after discussing cooperation in various settings during the first two rounds of the Pak-US Health Dialogue.
The Health Minister explained Pakistan’s goal in holding the inaugural Global Health Security Summit.
The goal is for everyone to be ready for a pandemic before it happens.
Dr. Nadeem highlighted the need for health to remain neutral and shared his tale to encourage collaboration and cooperation amongst all parties involved.
He also emphasized that health diplomacy is crucial in this day and age and cannot be overstated.
According to him, viruses and illnesses don’t care about racial or national boundaries, therefore it’s important to take a united stance against them.
He said that health was the best interface between the public and state hence contributing immensely to strengthening the bond between the society and the state.
Furthermore, he shared that Universal Health Coverage was close to his heart and he has taken the initiative to revamp the primary health-care system which will reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary care facilities.
We are currently revamping 430 Basic Health Units with the support of WHO in the first phase, shared Dr. Nadeem Jan, adding the that an initiative is underway to digitalize the whole health system.
Health Minister said we would like to pool resources and conduct mapping exercise to determine the area and community most in need and allocate resources accordingly.
The US Ambassador showed keen interest in the area and affirmed commitment to the cause emphasizing a targeted approach to malnutrition.
It was agreed for the technical group to further discuss collaboration in this regard between the two sides.
Pakistan continues to fight the last remnants of polio with strengthened resolve.
Dr. Nadeem Jan spelled out his vision for utilizing the asset of 250,000 polio workers for more integrated health interventions.
The US Ambassador affirmed commitment to support Pakistan’s health sector in diverse areas including nutrition, maternal and newborn health, control of infectious diseases, and family planning.
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U.S. provided mobile laboratories as support, as informed to the Ambassador.
The government deployed them in the provinces, and they are playing an important role in controlling epidemics.
The Minister said that Pakistan is looking forward to strengthening the government-to-government cooperation with the US and he firmly believes in productive partnership for the benefit of the people.
Dr. Nadeem Jan expressed gratitude for the US government’s support in the health sector.
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