ISLAMABAD:
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that nearly 10 million Pakistani children aged five to 15 are living with diabetes, warning that the country continues to struggle with preventable diseases due to a lack of effective measures to curb consumption of sugary drinks.
Speaking at the inauguration of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Health Services Academy (HSA), the minister called for a fundamental shift from a treatment-based model of healthcare to one focused on disease prevention.
He argued that the growing burden of diabetes, hepatitis, heart disease and maternal mortality in Pakistan had made public health a national security concern and stressed the need for stronger preventive policies.
Kamal said the health system could not be improved without reducing the number of patients entering it, emphasizing the importance of preventive health care, primary health services and trained medical staff.
He stressed that even though almost 10 million children are affected by diabetes, effective measures to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks have yet to be implemented.
Addressing the ceremony, the minister said Pakistan needed a health system focused on disease prevention rather than treatment. He argued that improving the health system required reducing the overall burden of disease on society.
He also stressed the need for broader social reform, saying that a good human being is more likely to become a good doctor, officer or minister.
Kamal noted that around 6.2 million children are born in Pakistan every year and said rapid population growth was putting increasing pressure on healthcare, education and other sectors.
Highlighting key health indicators, he said about 11,000 women die from pregnancy-related complications every year, while 11 million hepatitis patients are registered across the country. He added that one person dies of a heart attack every minute in Pakistan.
The minister criticized what he called policy inconsistencies, pointing out that contraceptive drugs are subject to an 18 percent tax while efforts to increase taxes on sugary drinks have failed.
He argued that Pakistan’s challenges did not stem from a lack of resources but from administrative deficiencies and ineffective governance.
According to Kamal, provinces received Rs8.6 trillion for development projects last year, but the real challenge is ensuring these resources are used effectively.
He said the health sector had become a matter of national security and reiterated that the government was focused on disease prevention, strengthening primary health care services and developing a skilled medical workforce.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor, Academy of Health Services, Prof. Shehzad Ali Khan said that the new School of Pharmaceutical Sciences would play an important role in the advancement of pharmaceutical education, research and public health.
The ceremony was attended by health experts, academicians, pharmacists and other eminent personalities from the health sector.
