Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal met a delegation led by Dr Abdul Bari Khan, Chief Executive Officer of The Indus Hospital and Health Network, to discuss urgent national measures for the prevention and effective control of rabies in Pakistan.
During the meeting, the delegation briefed the minister on the current rabies situation in the country. It was noted that Pakistan does not have an effective national system for rabies surveillance, while available estimates suggest that nearly 5,000 people die of rabies every year.
The delegation also highlighted that hundreds of thousands of dog bite cases are reported annually, with children, rural communities and deprived populations living on the outskirts of cities among the most affected.
Mustafa Kamal expressed deep concern over the growing burden of rabies in Pakistan and gave approval in principle for the preparation of a National Rabies Prevention and Control Framework.
The minister said a National Technical Working Advisory Group would be formed soon to lead the preparation of the framework. He also called for a nationwide awareness campaign to protect people from the preventable disease.
Mustafa Kamal particularly appreciated the province wide anti rabies campaign launched under the leadership of the Chief Minister of Sindh. He also acknowledged the technical support provided by The Indus Hospital and Health Network for rabies prevention.
The minister said the federal government, provincial governments and technical partners were committed to eliminating preventable deaths caused by rabies in Pakistan.
On the occasion, Dr Abdul Bari Khan presented the federal minister with the Sindh Official Guidelines for Prevention of Human Rabies 2024, prepared with technical assistance from The Indus Hospital and Health Network.
Mustafa Kamal also paid tribute to late Professor Naseem Salahuddin, expressing sorrow over her passing and offering condolences to her family. He said her valuable services for rabies prevention and the promotion of public health in Pakistan would always be remembered.
