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ISLAMABAD, May 20 (APP): Pakistan and the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have agreed to strengthen collaboration in disease surveillance, digital health innovation, and healthcare system reforms.
This was decided during meeting held between Federal Minister for Health, Mustafa Kamal and Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor of UKHSA in Geneva.
According to a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, during the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing public health response systems and discussed ongoing partnerships and identify new areas of cooperation.
Minister Kamal expressed gratitude for the UKHSA’s support in strengthening Pakistan’s Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system and implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR) framework.
The UK has helped establish a national IDSR system that improves early detection and rapid response to disease outbreaks.
More than 15,000 primary healthcare physicians have been trained under the initiative, with UKHSA providing significant technical support since 2016.
Minister Kamal also highlighted current healthcare reforms aimed at improving accessibility and emergency response.
He announced the launch of a nationwide telemedicine initiative to digitize primary and secondary healthcare services and introduced the ‘One Patient, One ID’ system to enable integrated digital patient care.
Professor Hopkins shared insights from the UK’s experience in leveraging digital technologies to strengthen healthcare delivery.
She reaffirmed UKHSA’s commitment to support Pakistan in building its digital and data management capacities, particularly in line with IHR goals.
The Minister invited Professor Hopkins to visit Pakistan to observe UKHSA-supported health initiatives firsthand.
Both sides agreed on the importance of enhancing national-level health data systems and maintaining momentum on IHR-related initiatives to prevent and manage disease outbreaks.
Minister Kamal also mentioned government efforts to boost local vaccine production and reinforce the capacity of the National Institute of Health (NIH), with specific funding now allocated to tackle hepatitis C and other infectious diseases.
This engagement underscores a shared commitment to developing a resilient, responsive, and technology-driven public health system in Pakistan.