ISLAMABAD: The US government-funded entomology laboratory was inaugurated here Monday which will strengthen Pakistan’s ability to track and respond to vector-borne disease outbreaks.

The laboratory was jointly inaugurated by the US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer, Federal Secretary at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination Dr Muhammad Fakhre Alam Irfan, and Pakistani National Institute of Health Chief Executive Officer Ghazal Parveen.

“The devastating 2022 floods across Pakistan reminded us all of the health risks posed by waterborne diseases,” Schofer said. “The United States stands with Pakistan as it continues to recover from the floods,” Schofer said on the occasion.

The laboratory, funded by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is the latest milestone in the longstanding US-Pakistan health partnership.

For decades, he added that the United States and Pakistan had collaborated closely to support the health of the Pakistani people.

After both the 2010 floods and the 2022 floods, he stated that the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention experts travelled to Pakistan to consult with Pakistani and UN partners about how to effectively respond to the health crises stemming from the flooding.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023