Pakistan’s first-ever Global Health Security Summit begins

ISLAMABAD: The first-ever two-day Global Health Security Summit commenced in Pakistan today (Wednesday) to address the critical challenges posed by global health threats.

This summit bringing together Health Ministers from member states, international health leaders, experts, officials from leading health organizations, health technical experts, global partners, donors and stakeholders.

The summit, organised under the theme “Together for a Healthy Planet,” aims to foster international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships to enhance global health security.

The government of Pakistan has invited distinguished speakers, including health ministers, and globally recognized experts in the field of global health security from across the world.

The participants will have the unique opportunity to engage in insightful discussions and contribute to shaping a comprehensive Islamabad Declaration that will be issued at the culmination of the Summit.

Addressing the opening session of the summit, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar stressed the need to explore mechanisms for global funding that could support nations in need, ensuring that no one was left behind, in the global pursuit of health security.

“The call for a sufficiently funded, widely supported country medium-term roadmap, as highlighted in the International Health Regulations Core Capacities evaluation, resonates globally. We must invest in open, transparent, and multi-sectoral processes to strengthen buy-in and commitment at all levels,” the prime minister said.

Highlighting the importance of enhancing coordination in health sector beyond the borders, Prime Minister Kakar said a “One Health” approach, recognized the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

“Our commitment should extend to establishing global frameworks that facilitate information sharing, joint research, and collaborative strategies for an effective response during emergencies.”

He stressed the need for a strong, visible, active surveillance and tiered public health laboratory system that was integral to early detection, response, and mitigation.

PM Kakar also called for collaboratively working towards establishing international standards for food safety, harmonizing regulations to ensure the highest level of protection for populations worldwide.

“New diseases, like COVID-19 and climate induced incidents such as historic floods of 2022 in Pakistan are disrupting our citizens’ health and causing social and economic impacts. While the developed world have systems in place to timely respond to such health emergencies, a similar ideal system is lacking in the developing world as health systems are relatively weak,” the prime minister added.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic had taught us invaluable lessons about the importance of collaboration, preparedness, and a unified response. “It is in this spirit that we convene today, not merely as representatives of our respective countries, but as overseers of global health security.”

The summit will cover the broader areas that include the impact of global health security on national health security, pandemic preparedness and response, climate change and emerging public health threats, multi-sectoral coordination in the context of “one health”, sustainable financing and global health security and social implication during pandemic.