ISLAMABAD:
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that nearly 10 million Pakistani children between the ages of five and 15 are living with diabetes, warning that the country continues to struggle with preventable diseases due to the lack of effective measures to curb the consumption of sugary drinks.
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 healthcare model to one focused on disease prevention.
He argued that Pakistan’s growing burden of diabetes, hepatitis, heart disease and maternal mortality had turned public health into a national security issue and emphasized the need for stronger preventive policies.
Kamal said that the health system could not be improved without reducing the number of patients entering it and emphasized the importance of preventive health care, primary health care services and an educated medical workforce.
He pointed out that while nearly 10 million children are affected by diabetes, effective steps to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks have yet to be implemented.
Addressing the ceremony, the minister said Pakistan needed a health system centered on disease prevention rather than treatment. He maintained that improving the health system required reducing the overall burden of disease on society.
He also emphasized the need for wider social reform, saying that a good person was more likely to become a good doctor, officer or minister.
Noting that about 6.2 million children are born in Pakistan every year, Kamal said the rapid population growth is putting increasing pressure on healthcare, education and other sectors.
Highlighting key health indicators, he said approximately 11,000 women die annually from pregnancy-related complications, 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 described as political inconsistencies, noting that contraceptives 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 lack of resources but from administrative deficiencies and inefficient governance.
According to Kamal, the provinces received Rs 8.6 trillion. for development projects last year, but the real challenge lies in ensuring that these resources are used effectively.
He said the health sector had become a matter of national security and reiterated the government’s focus on disease prevention, strengthening primary health care and developing a skilled medical workforce.
On the occasion, the Health Services Academy vice-chancellor, Professor Dr. Shehzad Ali Khan that the newly established School of Pharmaceutical Sciences would play an important role in promoting pharmacist education, research and public health.
The ceremony was attended by health experts, academics, pharmacists and other distinguished people from the health service.
