Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal chaired a high-level meeting to review the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Programme, where officials assessed the progress of the pilot screening campaign in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Prof. Saeed Akhtar, head of the National Technical Advisory Group on Hepatitis, senior Health Ministry officials, project directors, hospital heads, and the Islamabad District Health Officer.
Pilot Screening to Identify Operational Challenges
The minister stated that the Islamabad pilot was launched to identify operational challenges before nationwide implementation. He directed officials to resolve all issues and fully stabilize the system within the next 15 days. Kamal emphasized that timely screening and treatment of Hepatitis C patients can significantly curb the spread of the disease.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Kamal said more than 10 million people in Pakistan are living with Hepatitis C, describing its elimination as a national cause and one of the government’s top priorities. He urged citizens to participate in the awareness campaign, get tested, and noted that the disease is curable. The government is providing free screening and free treatment to all diagnosed patients, he added.
Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical Conference
Separately, the health minister met with the Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to review preparations for the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Pharmaceutical Conference, scheduled to be held in Karachi from July 16 to 19. Kamal said the conference would strengthen bilateral cooperation in the health sector, promote investment, technology transfer, and partnerships in pharmaceuticals.
The event will bring together leading pharmaceutical, medical device, and traditional Chinese medicine companies, along with regulators, government officials, and private sector representatives from both countries. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening the local pharmaceutical industry and expanding strategic health cooperation with China.
