Massive programme launched for disease prevention: Minister
By Saad Ahmed

RAWALPINDI—The government has launched a massive programme of supply of safe potable water and to provide better immunization against diseases to its entire population by year 2007.
This was stated by Minister of state for health Shahnaz Sheikh while speaking to “Follow up the Mexico Ministerial Summit on Health Research” here in local hotel. She said that in Pakistan, the allocation in health sector by Federal and Provincial governments have increased manifold during the past few years. The Minister said that the government has started many programmes including women health anti TB and rollback malaria to improve the health of masses specially children and women and reduce morbidity and mortality through better neonatal care.
She said the agenda of this regional consultation seems to have been carefully drawn to derive maximum benefit from the presence of experts, senior health researchers, scientists and policy makers from the region. “I am confident that their contribution in reviewing progress in policies making and identifying priorities and options for health research in member states and for the regional office, shall be most invaluable”, she commented. She said Ministerial Summit on Health Research (MSHR) and the World Health Assembly Resolution (WHAR) urges the member states to invest at least 2 percent of national health expenditure and five percent of project and project aid, in health research and research capacity strengthening, establish and implement national health research policy and establish mechanism to transfer knowledge in support of evidence based public health and health care delivery system and health policies.
Efforts are being made to utilize the Health Management Information System (HMIS) data, Findings of Disease Early Warning Systems (DEWS) and results of available research in decision-making, she added. She expressed her confidence that the expected intense interaction amongst the experts and distinguished delegates during the consultation shall result in tangible recommendations and options, which can be implemented through a defined programme for ensuring better health care to people in the region throughout the globe. She said that the suggestions and views of the experts would help us to formulate our policy and priorities.
The M/o health on its part shall continue to work with greater zeal and commitment for the accomplishment of goals set forth in MSHR and WHAR, she added. Experts Representing World Health Organization (WHO), government representatives in the region, decision makers and user of health research are participating the conference. The participation will hold consultation as a follow up of the World Health Resolution (WHR) 2005 taking into consideration recommendations of (MSHR) held in Mexico City in Nov 2004.