President Asif Ali Zardari while reiterating commitment of the government to cater to the health needs of the people urged the health-care providers to step up efforts to help alleviate sufferings of the ailing. In a message on the World Health Day, the President said Pakistan stands with the international community in raising awareness about the health challenges faced by the people.
The President urged the health-care providers both in the public and private sectors, the non-governmental organisations, private entities, philanthropists, community leaders, media and other stakeholders to step up efforts in not only raising awareness about the health issues, but also in alleviating the sufferings of ailing human beings through improved diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
The President said the World Health Day was a reminder of the need to undertake concerted efforts in raising awareness and finding solutions to meet the growing challenges in the field of health in the fast paced world of today. He said the rapid advances in science and technology and the massive transformation of socio-economic dynamics during recent years have drastically altered the way of life.
The President said technology and machines have brought new comforts but they have also generated new stresses resulting in new diseases for which effective and affordable remedies have to be found. He said the growing health requirements of the people have outpaced the ability of the governments to keep pace. This has further compounded the problem, he added.
The President pointed that the theme for World Health Day this year focuses on high blood pressure. He said hypertension has become one of the major causes of heart attacks in both the developed and developing countries of the world. It leads not only to heart attacks but also to strokes, kidney failures and blindness. He said hypertension calls for greater attention by all the stakeholders, especially the health practitioners. "We need to raise awareness about the precautionary measures to guard against the disease and at the same time explore new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to combat it," President Zardari said.