The Health Asia 2025 exhibition is underway at the Expo Centre Karachi with great enthusiasm, featuring participation from hundreds of companies and institutions representing over 50 countries.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that Pakistan is moving rapidly toward innovation in the health sector, adding that the pharmaceutical industry holds the greatest potential for future economic growth.
He stated that the pharmaceutical sector will become the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, noting that both the federal and provincial governments are showing unprecedented commitment to supporting industrial development. The government has set a target of increasing pharmaceutical and medical equipment exports to $30 billion in the coming years.
The minister revealed that Pakistan currently imports vaccines worth $500 million, with 99.99 percent previously coming from a hostile country. He added that following recent hostilities, that country stopped supplying vaccines and medicines, underscoring the need for local production.
Mustafa Kamal also shared that 22,000 doctors graduate in Pakistan each year, renowned globally for their expertise. He announced plans to revamp the Nursing Council to train more nurses, as the world currently faces a demand for 2.5 million nurses.
Discussing health insurance, he said that with Rs. 210 billion, every citizen in Pakistan could be covered under a national health insurance plan. According to him, public hospitals could become obsolete within ten years if this system is effectively implemented. He noted that rising healthcare expenses are a major cause of poverty, and the government is working on a comprehensive health insurance initiative to address this.
The minister also dismissed public misconceptions about vaccines, stressing that vaccines have no link to population control. He said cervical cancer vaccines are administered in 150 countries, and Pakistan has only recently introduced them. “It is unfortunate that we are facing objections now, even though vaccines save millions of lives,” he added.
