Preventive measures: Top Pakistani health officials likely to visit US
A number of MoUs are expected to be signed between the two countries
The minister of state for NHSRC. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
A high-level delegation of Pakistan’s top health officials is likely to visit the United States public health institute next week where they will also meet American experts in the field.
“The delegation will visit the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta,” a senior official at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
The minister of state for NHSRC will lead the delegation which comprises the director general health and health secretaries of the four provinces. The delegation is also expected to meet the US secretary of state for health to discuss key health issues and challenges faced in addressing them.
A number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between the two countries for strengthening the diseases surveillance and response system and upgrading laboratories across Pakistan. This will help early detection and prevention of a disease in any part of the country which currently lacks such modern facilities.
The strengthening health ties with the US will help Pakistan set up state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with the facility to test all those diseases that are sent to CDC for examination, said the official. “It will also help save foreign exchange as a huge sum of money is spent on sending samples to other countries for medical examination,” he added.
Sharing the background of the upcoming visit, the official said that this year in June CDC Director Dr Tom Frieden visited Pakistan and emphasised the need for strengthening the National Institute of Health and laboratories across Pakistan to bring them at par with international standards.
The Express Tribune tried to contact DG Health Dr Asad Hafeez for comments but he was not available.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2015.
A high-level delegation of Pakistan’s top health officials is likely to visit the United States public health institute next week where they will also meet American experts in the field.
“The delegation will visit the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta,” a senior official at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
The minister of state for NHSRC will lead the delegation which comprises the director general health and health secretaries of the four provinces. The delegation is also expected to meet the US secretary of state for health to discuss key health issues and challenges faced in addressing them.
A number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between the two countries for strengthening the diseases surveillance and response system and upgrading laboratories across Pakistan. This will help early detection and prevention of a disease in any part of the country which currently lacks such modern facilities.
The strengthening health ties with the US will help Pakistan set up state-of-the-art laboratories equipped with the facility to test all those diseases that are sent to CDC for examination, said the official. “It will also help save foreign exchange as a huge sum of money is spent on sending samples to other countries for medical examination,” he added.
Sharing the background of the upcoming visit, the official said that this year in June CDC Director Dr Tom Frieden visited Pakistan and emphasised the need for strengthening the National Institute of Health and laboratories across Pakistan to bring them at par with international standards.
The Express Tribune tried to contact DG Health Dr Asad Hafeez for comments but he was not available.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2015.