Moot gives wake up call to deal with health crisis
Patients stand in line at the registry kiosk of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science's (PIMS) pollen allergy emergency centre in Islamabad, Pakistan. PHOTO: REUTERS
A two-day International Conference on Health Security (ICHS) strongly recommended community engagement to ensure health emergency preparedness and responses through education, training and participation in the decision-making process.
Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training for Pakistan Rana Tanveer Hussain presided over the concluding ceremony of the conference, while Advisor Higher Education Commission (CPEC) Lt Gen (retd) Muhammad Asghar, UVAS Vice Chancellor Dr Nasim Ahmad (SI), other senior officials and renowned veterinary and medical practitioners from different countries participated physically and virtually in ICHS.
Organised by the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, the conference promoted collaboration and information-sharing among countries, governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to foster a comprehensive and coordinated response to global health threats.
The experts stressed that there is a dire need for collaboration among countries to address health security challenges through sharing information, resources and good practices and ensuring equitable access to essential technologies, including vaccines, diagnostics and treatments in low and middle-income countries like Pakistan.
Addressing the audience during the concluding ceremony, Hussain urged the use of modern technology to enhance milk and meat production and added that strong links are required to fill the gap between consumer demand and product quality research.
He advised that climate change must be included in the curriculum to address climate issues in Pakistan.
The speakers also called for enhancing the capacity of veterinary and healthcare systems to deliver quality healthcare services during emergencies outbreaks, floods and other natural disasters.
During the two-day conference, 24 international and 60 national speakers joined virtually and 64 research papers were presented in the conference.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2023.