Innovations introduced by Pakistan in the health sector received recognition and acclaim by top delegates at the World Economic Forum.
Innovations in universal health coverage, child immunisation, and access to drugs for the poor were highlighted specifically and recognised at the prestigious forum.
In his remarks on the occasion, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Chief Executive Officer Dr Seth Berkeley paid tribute to Pakistan’s Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar for establishing for the first time, a state-of-the-art world class online vaccine management system which won ISO certification. Dr Berkeley said, “there were no parallels to this in the developing world”.
The session on innovations made special mention of efforts by Pakistan to provide drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis-C. This includes the provision of miracle drug Sovaldi at around Rs 32,000 and its generic at around 5,000 rupees.
The forum energised the new national health vision of Pakistan as a means to provide equitable health services, with a focus on primary and preventive health-care.
Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar was invited to the World Economic Forum specifically to speak on health sector innovations introduced by the country including providing free of cost health-care to those living below the poverty line under one of the developing world’s largest health insurance programs launched in December 2015.
The program was presented as a model for the developing world by Saira Afzal Tarar speaking at a special session on innovations participated by top leaders from across the world.
The free of cost health cover for treatment of major diseases for the 6th largest nation in the world was seen by the delegates as the ultimate means to ensure equity in health-care services in developing countries.
