Health minister calls for collective efforts to achieve SDGs

RAWALPINDI, Oct 25 (APP):Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Aamer Mehmood Kiani Thursday called for collective efforts of all stakeholders to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Addressing the third Surgeon General International Conference, he said it is important to recall that SDGs are not just an additional plan, but a shared vision of the world as these form the basis of a new social contract between the leaders and their people.
He said environmental and geostrategic changes are so profound and rapid that no country can stand alone. The 2030 Agenda recognizes this change by moving beyond a strategy, to just develop poor countries to a universal plan applicable to all.
He said working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is more than a matter of policy being one of necessity. But, realization of this agenda will require a fundamental shift in strategy, at all levels, he added.
He said some of the reasons for the failure to achieve these goals in the past include the lack of adequate planning, the absence of a multi-sectorial approach and the scarcity of data for monitoring progress.
As a first step towards the development of this roadmap, the state could organize a national forum that would bring together all relevant sectors to discuss current roles, analyze strengths and weaknesses, identify ways to track progress and convert it into a collective national vision.
“The goals, at first, may seem a distinct possibility however, I believe that they are achievable. The necessary pre-requisite is to have a dream, second is to lay the path while third is the resolve to overcome the obstacles.”
He expressed the hope that foreign delegates take home memorable experiences, and capitalize on the outcome of this interaction for subsequent collaborations.