Jo Moir meets PM’s aide to advance UK-Pakistan partnership

Celina Ali

Islamabad: The British High Commissions Development Director, Ms Jo Moir, met Tuesday with Dr. Malik Mukhtar Bharath, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Health, to advance UK-Pakistan partnership and ongoing support in strengthening healthcare in Pakistan.

The meeting, attended by Mr. Nadeem Mahbub, Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination (M/o NHSR&C), and Dr. Shabana Saleem, Director General (Health and Population) and others. Dr. Bharath expressed his sincere appreciation to the UK government for its enduring support through the UK-PAK Health Partnership, highlighting the transformative role of technical assistance in advancing Pakistan health and population goals.

“The UK governments support has been invaluable in achieving key milestones in our health sector” he noted, underscoring the positive impact of the partnership on health system resilience and service delivery. Ms Jo Moir commended the strong partnership between the UK and Pakistan, reaffirmed the UKs commitment to support Pakistan healthcare systems, “Through initiatives such as the Evidence for Health (E4H) programme, GAVI, GFATM and sustained support for polio eradication, we are dedicated to strengthening healthcare delivery in Pakistan and ensuring essential services reach those in need,” she remarked.

As part of this ongoing commitment, a high-level UK delegation is scheduled to visit Pakistan in near future to review the UK-Pakistan Health Partnership Agreement signed in 2023. This review will focus on key areas including health systems strengthening, health security, and continued collaboration under the UK-Pakistan health agenda. Addressing population growth and its impact on sustainable development remains a top priority.

The Presidents Task Force on Population is set to convene a strategic meeting in November 2024, with a focus on integrating population strategies with health to enhance healthcare delivery. DG (Health & Population) told that the UKs Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has been granted membership in the task force, underscoring the UKs commitment to supporting Pakistan in achieving its population and health objectives.