ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Pakistan Health & Population Strategic Forum chaired by the Federal Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar and participated by all provinc es’ provincial ministers and senior officials. Key decisions were taken to fight disease and improve health status of the population. The provincial health ministers including Khawaja Imran Nazir of Punjab and Rehmat Saleh Baloch of Balochistan appreciated the services of Saira Afzal Tarar in providing leadership in the health sector in Pakistan. The meeting took stock of the measles situation in the country and agreed to launch a measles vaccination campaign in high risk areas of the country during April next year whereas a nationwide anti-measles drive would be held in October 2018. A Plan of Action will be finalized with mutual consultation of all provinces. Speaking on the occasion Federal Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said Federal Government’s mandate is to provide stewardship and coordination. Consonant with this responsibility the Ministry of National Health Services has been striving to provide suitable platforms to ensure harmonization of various areas in health and population, particularly those which require a coordinated national approach and face common critical challenges.
Published in Daily Times, December 20th 2017.
