'Nearly 10m children aged 5 to 15 living with diabetes'

ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that nearly 10 million children in Pakistan between the ages of five and 15 are living with diabetes, as he urged a shift from treatment-focused healthcare to a system built around disease prevention.

Speaking at the inauguration of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Health Services Academy, Kamal said Pakistan was continuing to face preventable illnesses because effective measures to reduce the use of sugary drinks had not been put in place. He said the country’s rising burden of diabetes, hepatitis, heart disease and maternal deaths had made public health a matter of national security.

The minister said the healthcare system could not improve unless the number of people falling ill was reduced, stressing the importance of preventive healthcare, primary health services and the training of medical professionals. He said Pakistan needed a healthcare structure centred on prevention rather than treatment, adding that lowering the overall disease burden was essential for strengthening the system.

Kamal also spoke about wider social issues, saying better social values were linked to better professional conduct, including in medicine and public office. He said about 6.2 million children are born in Pakistan every year and noted that rapid population growth was putting added strain on health, education and other sectors.

Health indicators and policy concerns

Highlighting key national health indicators, Kamal said around 11,000 women die each year due to pregnancy-related complications. He added that 11 million hepatitis patients are registered in the country, while one person dies of a heart attack every minute in Pakistan.

The minister also criticised what he described as inconsistent policymaking, saying contraceptive medicines are taxed at 18pc while attempts to raise taxes on sugary beverages have failed. He said Pakistan’s problems were not caused by a lack of resources, but by weak administration and poor governance.

According to Kamal, the provinces received Rs8.6 trillion for development projects last year, but the main issue was whether those funds were being used effectively. He reiterated that the government’s priorities included disease prevention, stronger primary healthcare and the development of a skilled health workforce.

Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shehzad Ali Khan said the newly launched School of Pharmaceutical Sciences would contribute to pharmacy education, research and public health. The inauguration ceremony was attended by health specialists, academics, pharmacists and other figures from the healthcare sector.