ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on June 9 that nearly 10 million Pakistani children aged between five and 15 are living with diabetes, warning that the country continues to struggle with preventable diseases due to the lack of effective measures to curb the consumption of sugary drinks.
Speaking at the inauguration of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Health Services Academy (HSA), the minister called for a fundamental shift from a treatment-based healthcare model to one focused on disease prevention.
He argued that Pakistan’s growing burden of diabetes, hepatitis, heart disease and maternal mortality had turned public health into a national security concern and underscored the need for stronger preventive policies.
Kamal said the healthcare system could not be improved without reducing the number of patients entering it, stressing the importance of preventive healthcare, primary health services and a trained medical workforce.
He pointed out that while nearly 10 million children are affected by diabetes, effective steps to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages have yet to be implemented.
Addressing the ceremony, the minister said Pakistan needed a healthcare system centred on disease prevention rather than treatment. He maintained that improving the healthcare system required reducing the overall disease burden on society.
He also emphasised the need for broader social reform, saying that a good human being was more likely to become a good doctor, officer or minister.
Kamal noted that around 6.2 million children are born in Pakistan every year and said rapid population growth was placing increasing pressure on healthcare, education and other sectors.
Highlighting key health indicators, he said approximately 11,000 women die annually from pregnancy-related complications, while 11 million hepatitis patients are registered across the country. He added that one person dies from a heart attack every minute in Pakistan.
The minister criticised what he described as policy inconsistencies, noting that contraceptive medicines are subject to an 18 per cent tax while efforts to increase taxes on sugary drinks have not succeeded.
He argued that Pakistan’s challenges stemmed not from a shortage of resources but from administrative shortcomings and ineffective governance.
According to Kamal, provinces received Rs8.6 trillion for development projects last year, but the real challenge lies in ensuring those resources are utilised efficiently.
He said the health sector had become a matter of national security and reiterated that the government was focusing on disease prevention, strengthening primary healthcare services and developing a skilled medical workforce.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shehzad Ali Khan said the newly established School of Pharmaceutical Sciences would play an important role in advancing pharmacy education, research and public health.
The ceremony was attended by health experts, academics, pharmacists and other distinguished figures from the healthcare.
