Saira receives appreciation at World Economic Forum

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Health Saira Afzal Tarar has won appreciation for her effective advocacy at the technical sessions dedicated to global health in World Economic Forum, Davos.

She called for inculcating the spirit of togetherness for nations and civil societies across the world to achieve a just and equitable distribution of healthcare across the world, says a fax message received here from Davos on Monday.

She said health was central to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Both the public and private sector are an integral part of the vision of achieving SDGs.

Without their collaboration success in achieving the SDGs may remain an illusion, she added. Community, academics, research institutes, private companies all have a stake and can make important contributions, the Minister said.

She said there were many places in the world where the basic public health needs to be addressed as a matter of priority rather than promoting activities and interventions that are not well grounded within the local context.

The population of the world is ever increasing, at home in Pakistan we have already crossed 210 million mark and have the fifth largest population in the world.

She said “Large populations mean greater expenses. It also means that with rapid advancement in health we are looking at aging populations that will have specific health needs and requirements in the future. All of this translates into a greater need for financial resources.”

She said that estimates indicated that the low and lower middle income countries needed to increase their public and private expenditure on health by an accumulated $1-$1.5 trillion in the next 15 years.

“In Pakistan we are well cognizant of this fact. The government has pledged to increase health care spending from 1% of GDP to at least 3% of GDP by the next decade. “Resource constraints however, mean that we have to prioritize our spending by shaping a future agenda that address gaps and needs in health care delivery whether it is through the public or the private sector.”

She aid that technological advancement has played a pivotal role in the exponential growth of modern medicine and its ability to tackle complex health conditions.

Technology is on the brink of transforming the way health care will be provided to the people and the way policy decision makers will think about solutions for everyday health problems, the minister said.

Addressing a session dedicated to Antimicrobial Resistance, the minister said the growing problem of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major health crisis in almost all countries of the world resulting in an alarming increase in the burden of infections due to multi-resistant bacteria.

The Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC)considers Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) containment as major priority and has included in its national public health agenda, she said.

A National AMR strategic framework has been developed in Pakistan with “One Health” approach. Ministry of NHSRC has developed a National Action Plan for AMR through collaborative efforts of relevant sectors, she said.