ISLAMABAD: Dr. Nadeem Jan, the Health Minister, announced that Pakistan would be the world’s pioneer in hosting the Global Health Security Summit.
Minister Dr. Jan called on the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy.
Dr. Jan announced that Pakistan would host a summit by the end of the current year to demonstrate its capacity to lead the global health agenda. “The event will cover pandemic preparedness and response vaccine equity issues with at least a 20 per cent allocation for low- and middle-income countries.
He stated that the summit might conclude with Pakistan signing a global charter and establishing a global pandemic planning response facility for low- and middle-income countries. This initiative aims to prevent the disproportionate use of vaccines between first-world and third-world nations, with the theme focusing on depoliticizing pandemics and fostering inherent resilience in developing countries instead of relying on external support.
He also mentioned that the summit would address issues related to patents and the utilization of manufacturing industries across different countries.
Pakistan-Saudi Meeting Highlights
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation and mutual interests. The Minister acknowledged and praised Saudi Arabia’s strong commitment to Pakistan and the welfare of its people.
He emphasized the historical and religious fraternal relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and the continuous support Saudi Arabia has provided in times of difficulty. He highlighted the recent establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a positive step to encourage investment in the country.
Dr. Jan explained that Pakistan has developed an integrated strategy to boost the pharmaceutical industry’s exports, with effective measures being implemented to enhance its capacity.
They also reached an agreement to promote medical tourism within this sector, which holds significant investment potential.
The Saudi ambassador expressed optimism about the appointment of a global health expert as the minister and mentioned that his country would benefit from Pakistan’s medical sector.
