Islamabad: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has highlighted the urgent need for a unified national strategy to address the growing diabetes crisis in Pakistan. He made these remarks while chairing the second meeting of the Steering Committee for the Prime Minister’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.
The five-year initiative aims to provide preventive care and awareness to 33 million individuals across the nation, with an estimated budget of $6.8 million. The program seeks to educate, screen, and treat millions through a coordinated effort involving both federal and provincial entities.
Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the necessity for collaboration between provincial and federal governments to effectively tackle the issue. He noted that a national action plan is essential to achieve results proportionate to the scale of the crisis.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Health presented details of a new nationwide media campaign focused on awareness, prevention, control, and treatment of diabetes. The campaign includes training for frontline health workers, the development of a national diabetes registry, and partnerships with universities for research and outreach.