Islamabad (TDI): The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joined hands with the Government of Pakistan to start the implementation of Pakistan’s Pandemic Fund through a national consultation to establish One Health Units across the country.
The objective is to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacities across the country to be ready to prevent and respond to future pandemics, protecting millions of lives.
Pakistan was awarded US$18.7 million from the Pandemic Fund to strengthen the country’s One Health coordination and ability to ward off public health threats. The project has catalyzed an additional US$4.1 million in co-financing and US$49.7 million in co-investment.
The national consultation was the first activity of an initiative funded by the Pandemic Fund to apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen the country’s One Health coordination and ability to ward off public health threats.
The national consultation facilitated discussions among 70 partners, high-level representatives from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, as well as high-level authorities and experts from the different provinces and regions.
Pakistan’s Pandemic Fund strategy emphasizes the One Health (OH) approach as an integrated framework that recognizes the interdependence of human, animal and environmental health to tackle complex health threats.
Over 75% of emerging and endemic human infectious diseases originate from animals, compounded by rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate-driven disease spillovers.
“In the wake of recent global health emergencies, it has become increasingly evident that a robust and integrated approach is essential to mitigate the impact of future pandemics,” said Director General Health Dr. Shabana Saleem.
FAO Representative in Pakistan, Florence Rolle, lauded Pakistan’s momentum in addressing zoonotic risks, AMR, and food safety through multi-sectoral collaborative platforms.
“The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was a painful reminder that building stronger health systems and coordination to better prevent future pandemics is not an option anymore,” said WHO Representative Dr. Dapeng Luo.
ADB’s Senior Project Officer. Mansoor Ali noted, “This consultation marks a critical step towards institutionalizing the One Health units that will serve as platforms for collaboration, data sharing and joint actions, ensuring that Pakistan is better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to future health threats.”
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
