US, KP inaugurate disease command and control Centre

PESHAWAR: The United States Mission to Pakistan, in partnership with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inaugurated the region’s Command and Control Centre here in the provincial capital to assist in facilitating the prevention and spread of COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks, a press release said.

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the centre is equipped with state-of-the-art information technology equipment that will link the Provincial Disease Surveillance and Response Unit and 36 District Disease Surveillance and Response units across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This integrated communication will provide real-time data on disease outbreaks to the provincial health department.

“The COVID-19 pandemic underpins the importance of this partnership between the United States and Pakistan, which enables health systems at all levels to respond quickly to public health threats and save lives,” said USAID Deputy Mission Director Michael Nehrbass. “We thank the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for their dedicated leadership in creating these centres to help fight the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases.”

“Strengthening the provincial healthcare system is one of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s top priorities,” said Special Secretary Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Farooq Jamil. “Improving the capacity of the province’s hospitals to combat COVID-19 and providing universal healthcare to poor and rural communities are the prime concerns of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Health, and we are pleased to have USAID’s support aligned with our provincial needs and focus areas.”

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID has closely engaged with the Government of Pakistan to train and prepare all provincial health departments for timely and responsive surveillance of COVID-19 cases. USAID, through its Integrated Health Systems Strengthening and Service Delivery activity, trained approximately 500 healthcare officials for rapid response at District Health Offices.