Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal has said that the National Institute of Health holds a central position in Pakistan’s health system and plays an important role in dealing with epidemics, diagnosis, research, training and evidence-based policymaking.
Addressing the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Health, the minister welcomed all members of the board and said Pakistan was facing multiple challenges in the health sector.
He said the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases was increasing with each passing day. He added that large-scale reforms had been introduced in the Ministry of Health.
Mustafa Kamal said practical steps to prevent people from falling ill were among his priorities, while expanding universal health coverage was his top priority.
He stressed the need to strengthen real-time systems for timely identification of disease risks. He also called for promoting local vaccine production and quality processes to ensure the national goal of vaccine security.
The minister urged the National Institute of Health to strengthen coordination with provincial governments and other stakeholders.
Addressing the board members, Mustafa Kamal said they carried a major responsibility, as their actions and decisions directly affected the health of millions of Pakistanis.
He assured that the Ministry of Health would extend all possible support to the National Institute of Health in fulfilling its mandate. He also called for effective measures to modernise the institute on contemporary lines.
