Islamabad (GNP): Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, highlighted the need for coordinated, effective and immediate actions to prevent and control the spread of HIV in Pakistan.
The minister made these comments while presiding over a high-level meeting on HIV prevention, as organized by the Ministry of National Health Services.
The meeting was attended by several key officials including the Federal Secretary for Health, Additional Secretary for Health, Chief Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy, and representatives from other relevant institutions and key stakeholders.
The session reviewed the progress made so far in implementing HIV prevention initiatives nationwide and also examined the recommendations provided by the Prime Minister’s HIV Task Force.
During the meeting, Mustafa Kamal assigned specific tasks to each participating institution and directed them to enhance coordination in carrying out measures to tackle HIV.
The minister said, “All relevant institutions should take coordinated steps to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the HIV Task Force.”
It was noted that the National Institute of Health (NIH), CDC, and the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) had launched an HIV dashboard to enable timely reporting and monitoring of HIV-related data.
The minister explained that this dashboard would make the decision-making process more efficient and responsive, allowing authorities to take prompt action.
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Reiterating the government’s dedication to public health, Mustafa Kamal stated that all possible efforts are being made to prevent the spread of HIV and to strengthen the national response to the disease.
Officials from the National Institute of Health Pakistan, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, provincial health departments and the UNAIDS Common Management Unit also attended.
The task force proposed activating a real-time data dashboard through NIH, CDC and CMU systems to monitor HIV cases, analyse trends and strengthen coordination mechanisms.
It was also agreed to draft a National Public Health Law to prevent the spread of HIV in the country, particularly addressing transmission linked to unsafe medical practices.
