ISLAMABAD: The USAID support for 155 District Disease Surveillance and Response Units (DDSRUs) will help reduce mortality and morbidity associated with infectious diseases through timely prevention, detection and response.

Addressing a ceremony held here, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr. Faisal Sultan expressed his gratitude to USAID and acknowledged that this historic support of establishing 155 DDSRUs all across Pakistan would go a long way for instituting integrated disease surveillance system in Pakistan.

Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Maj Gen Aamer Ikram explained importance of such units which would now be connected to their respective provinces.

It would ultimately help federal epidemiology and disease surveillance division housed in National Institute of Health Islamabad for timely reporting on all infectious diseases, especially COVID-19 in these times, he said.

In her remarks, USAID Mission Director Ms Julie Koenen pledged to continue this partnership with the health system of Pakistan and articulated the vision of United States Mission to improve quality of life of Pakistani citizens through investing in social sector.