Key Takeaways
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urges comprehensive national strategy to prevent diabetes.
- Focus on prevention alongside treatment to address public health challenge.
- Delegation of international and Pakistani medical experts visit to discuss diabetes care.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a comprehensive national strategy to prevent diabetes, emphasizing the need for a coordinated approach that combines prevention and treatment.
During a meeting with a delegation of international and Pakistani medical experts, the prime minister directed relevant institutions to develop a practical plan aligned with national priorities.
He highlighted the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles, particularly among young people and students, through awareness of balanced diets, regular physical activity, and healthy daily routines.
Sharif also called for a nationwide public awareness campaign using television, radio, digital platforms, and other media to disseminate information about diabetes prevention, early diagnosis, and healthy living.
A clear policy framework and effective planning are essential, according to the prime minister, to tackle the growing prevalence of diabetes, with relevant institutions adopting an integrated approach encompassing research, public awareness, and preventive measures.
Highlighting the importance of international cooperation, Sharif said Pakistan should benefit from global research, international experience, and best practices to strengthen its efforts to prevent the disease.
The delegation, led by Dr Syed Abbas Raza, president of the International Society of Endocrinology, includes medical experts from several countries and is visiting Pakistan to attend an endocrinology seminar.
The visiting experts appreciated Pakistan’s recent initiatives and policy implementation efforts aimed at preventing diabetes and other diseases, expressing their commitment to supporting diabetes prevention initiatives and public awareness campaigns in the country.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Bharath, and senior officials from relevant institutions also attended the meeting.
