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ISLAMABAD, Jan 04 (APP):Public health experts, environmental scientists, and veterinary specialists have finalized a comprehensive policy ‘Working Paper’ after a series of intensive technical sessions, urging immediate institutional reforms to counter the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Pakistan.
The consensus was reached during a policy dialogue organized by the Health Services Academy (HSA), where experts unanimously agreed that adopting the “One Health” approach is inevitable to prevent future pandemics.
The working paper specifically recommends the institutionalization of One Health, the establishment of an ‘Integrated Surveillance System’ to detect diseases shared by humans and animals, and the enforcement of an effective and strict regulatory framework to curb the misuse of antibiotics.
Addressing the inaugural session, Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, termed the One Health approach a significant milestone for national health security. He remarked that human health is intrinsically linked with animal health and the environment. The Federal Minister assured that the government would adopt the One Health framework and, in light of the technical experts’ recommendations, introduce strict regulatory measures to prevent the unnecessary use of antibiotics, thereby strengthening Pakistan’s preparedness against disease outbreaks.
Discussing the implementation of these technical recommendations, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, stated that the Academy has already begun translating the policy into action. He informed that, in response to the experts’ call for a specialized response mechanism, a ‘One Health Secretariat’ has been established, and the formation of a formal ‘One Health Workforce’ is underway. He further added that the training of the first batch of frontline workers has commenced to ensure that trained human resources are available to execute the cross-sectoral collaboration proposed in the working paper.
Providing the technical basis for the working paper’s recommendations, National Coordinator for One Health, Prof. Dr. Tariq Mahmood Ali, noted that AMR is a present reality that caused approximately 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019. He warned that if the strategic measures proposed in the working paper are not taken, the global GDP could suffer a loss of US$3.4 trillion annually by 2030, and AMR-related deaths could exceed 39 million by 2050.
He particularly emphasized the need for legislation in the livestock sector, pointing out that 70 to 80 percent of antimicrobials worldwide are used in food-producing animals, which is a major cause of the spread of resistance.