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Thursday March 28, 2024

Pakistan’s top public health expert wins prestigious international award

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Director General Health Dr. Assad Hafeez was conferred the prestigious A.T. Shousha award for excellence in Public Health by the World Health Organization

By Web Desk
October 17, 2018
Assad Hafeez, chairman of the WHO EB. Credit: WHO

ISLAMABAD:   Pakistan’s Director General Health Dr. Assad Hafeez was conferred the prestigious A.T. Shousha award for excellence in Public Health by the World Health Organization

The award came  in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of Public Health globally, at the regional level and in Pakistan. 

This is first ever time that a public health practitioner from Pakistan has been bestowed upon this unique honor in the long list of awardees in the past many years.

 Dr Hafeez remained chair of the highest global decision making body in health; the Executive Board of WHO and is an author of a number of seminal research papers in international journals. 

The award ceremony was held during WHO Regional Committee meeting in Khartoum Sudan participated by 22 countries of Eastern Mediterranean Region. 

The President of Republic of Sudan inaugurated the 65th WHO Regional Committee meeting for Eastern Mediterranean. 

High level representatives from 22 countries of the region and from leading global health agencies descended on the historical city of Khartoum to deliberate and consider solutions for the health issues relevant to this part of the world. 

Pakistan delegation led by Director General Health Dr. Assad Hafeez took active part in deliberations at the meeting and made a robust statement on behalf of Government of Pakistan reiterating the new government’s commitment to national and global health obligations. 

The delegation shared that Pakistan has a new government, which has a specific focus on health and human development, a fact that was very explicitly emphasized in his very first speech to the nation, by the Prime Minister.

 The Government stands by its regional and global commitments in health, with reinforced vigor, under the dynamic leadership of our Prime Minister Imran Khan and health minister Mr Amer Mahmood Kiani. 

One evidence of this fortified vigor and commitment, is the results of the National Polio campaign conducted last month, which has shown upto 98% coverage which is one of the most successful ever campaign of the program. 

This could not have been possible without the continuation of support from the highest offices, said the statement.