The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council convened a meeting in Islamabad on June 18, 2026, to review the strategic role of Family Medicine in strengthening Primary Healthcare and advancing Pakistan’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage. The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, President of PMDC, and attended by Registrar Dr. Rehan Naqvi alongside World Health Organization representatives including Dr. Saira Tariq, WHO Consultant, and Dr. Naveed Asghar, Team Lead Health System Development, WHO Pakistan.
Participants highlighted how Family Medicine can address Pakistan’s shifting health needs, including the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, growing mental health concerns, maternal and child health priorities, and the demands of an ageing population. Emphasis was placed on delivering comprehensive, continuous and people-centered care at the community level to improve access and equity.
The committee reviewed recent reforms introduced since PMDC’s reconstitution under Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj. Key measures now embedded in accreditation and training include mandatory Departments of Family Medicine in medical colleges with defined faculty requirements, integration of 75 teaching hours of Family Medicine into the undergraduate curriculum, a requirement for three outreach centers per institution, and the launch of an optional three-year House Job rotation pathway to strengthen primary care skills and community-based training.
WHO representatives welcomed these steps and underlined the importance of Family Medicine as a cornerstone of effective health systems. The President of PMDC reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to institutionalizing Family Medicine within medical education and to supporting initiatives that improve the quality of primary healthcare across Pakistan. The meeting closed with a shared commitment between PMDC, WHO and stakeholders to advance Family Medicine and expand primary healthcare services nationwide.
