Dr. Irshad Ahmad stated that international standards of global health security would be achieved by bridging gaps & that all-out efforts would be made in this regard.
Dr. Irshad Ahmad, Secretary of Primary and Secondary Healthcare, stated on Thursday that international standards of global health security would be achieved by bridging gaps and that all-out efforts would be made in this regard.
He stated, while chairing a meeting on global health emergency response and international public health standards, that the Health Department would upgrade its staff’s capacity building in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005. All commitments made under IRH-2005 would be carried out in full, he added.
Dr. Irshad stated that the department, in collaboration with the UK health security agency, has been conducting extensive disease surveillance and response training for its employees since December 2022. The desired results would be achieved through the combined efforts of all vertical programmes, he added. He maintained that Punjab had excelled in epidemic and pandemic prevention.
He assured the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSR), and the National Institute of Health (NIH) that they would fulfil their commitments and expressed gratitude for their extensive cooperation in the health sector.
Dr. Shabana Saleem, DGHS MoNHS, briefed the meeting on the Punjab government’s health security plans under IRH-2005.
Dr. Safi Malik, Health Adviser Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination, Dr. Salman, Provincial Advisor UKHSA Dr. Saeed Akhtar, and WHO Provincial Chief Dr. Jamshed Ahmad attended the meeting, as did DG HS Dr. Ilyas Gondal, Additional Secretary Vertical Programs Saba Adil, and Director CDC Dr. Amir Mufti.
Global health security refers to the ability of countries and the international community to prevent, detect, and respond to public health crises, particularly those that have the potential to spread rapidly across borders.
This includes infectious disease outbreaks such as pandemics, as well as other health threats such as bioterrorism and the accidental release of harmful agents. Global health security efforts involve a range of activities, including disease surveillance, laboratory capacity building, risk assessment, and the development of emergency response plans.