KARACHI: Larry Summers, former chief economist of the World Bank has acknowledged that if the United States (US) had handled Covid-19 like Pakistan, it could have saved 10 trillion dollars.

According to a tweet of Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Sunday night, Larry Summers has highly appreciated the efforts of Pakistan in the fight against Covid-19 and Pakistan is among the countries from whom the international community should learn how to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Larry Summers the former chief economist of World Bank and former chief of economic advisory council of president Obama says if the US had handled Covid-19 as well as Pakistan, it could have saved 10 trillion dollars, Asad Umer's tweet added.

Pakistan's successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic is getting international recognition and even the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom has praised the country saying it is among those that the world needs to learn from. Adhanom in a statement at a media briefing endorsed the Pakistan government's strategy against the virus and deploying of the infrastructure "built up over many years for polio to combat Covid-19."

While appreciating the steps taken by Pakistan in fighting the pandemic, WHO noted progress made by the government in containing the spread of coronavirus. According to a recent statement of the WHO, Prime Minister Imran Khan held a video conference with Director General WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom. The premier appreciated the support extended by WHO to the international community including Pakistan to fight Covid-19.

Imran Khan highlighted Pakistan's strategy of deploying scientific and data driven interventions as well as rapid upgrades of health care facilities, all while attempting to maintain a balance between life and livelihood that has yielded positive results with a current downward trajectory in the spread of pandemic.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020