Federal Health Minister Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani said here on Thursday that Pakistan was fully alive to face the danger of swine flu and had adopted preventive measures so that the disease that had already taken death toll in some countries may not infect our population. "We are fully prepared and fully equipped to face any situation in this regard," the minister said while talking to media persons here.
He pointed out that the virus has no boundaries and can sneak anywhere, adding that "However, we are trying our best to prevent it as much as we can and hopefully we will be successful." Mir Aijaz Jakhrani said that his country was working on war footing and set up emergency centres and also taken preventive measures against the swine flu at all entry points.
The Federal Health Minister was leading a Pakistani delegation at the 2-day Regional Ministerial meeting on Health Literacy that kicked off from Wednesday. He said that we are already in contact with WHO and many countries including China.
On Sino-Pak co-operation in health sector, the minister pointed out that as everybody knows that we are very close friends and the foundation of this vibrant friendship was laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was the founding Chairman of PPP and former Prime Minister of Pakistan. So like every spheres of life, we are also working together in health sector.
He said that President Asif Ali Zardari visited China three times, while Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Ali Gilani twice and they held very successful talks with Chinese top leaderships. Mir Aijaz Jakhrani said that we were seeking Chinese assistance to acquire vaccine used for Hepatitis.
To begin with, he said Pakistan wants to import the vaccine and later may produce the same in collaboration with China. In this regard, the health minister said that our negotiations with Chinese side are going smoothly. On economic development of China, the minister said that the way it developed during last 30-year is "Amazing."
"We as Pakistani very happy to see the development of China, as China's development is our own development," he observed. To a question, on his participation in the workshop, the Minister said that education is prerequisite for the Health literacy and on return to Pakistan, he would work on it in co-ordination with ministry of education to create awareness.
Earlier, the Parliamentary Secretary Dr Mahreen Razaque Bhutto said that Pakistan is proud of its friendship with China and both sides were co-operating with each other in various areas. She especially pointed out on people-to-people contacts that have witnessed great enthusiasm after present government came into power. She suggested that our youths should get benefit from Chinese experience in the field of computer science, IT, skill development, etc.
Dr Mahreen said that being agri-base economy, Pakistan can also get benefit from China in agriculture. She said that Pakistan is confronted with many challenges including unemployment and terrorism and through skill development we can help provide job opportunities to our youths so that they could play a constructive role for the country.