ISLAMABAD                 -             Pakistan yesterday told a special video conference
of the SAARC-member
states that  South Asia was  particularly vulnerable
amid the coronavirus pandemic,Pakistan organized the SAARC Health Ministers’ Video Conference on Covid-
19. All Member States and the SAARC Secretary General, Esala Ruwan Weerakoon participated in the conference.Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Services and Regulations Dr. Zafar Mirza chaired the meeting.   Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister
for Health and Indigenous
Medical Services of Sri Lanka; Nabraj Raut, State Minister for Health and Population of Nepal; Dr. Wahid Majrooh, Deputy
Minister for Healthcare
Services of Afghanistan;
Dr. Ugen Dophu, Secretary Health of Bhutan,
Prof. Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Director General of Health Services of Bangladesh;
Maimoona Aboobakuru,
Director General of Public Health of Maldives;
and Professor Rajiv
Garg, Director General
of Health Services of India led their respective delegations.Issues including real-
time sharing of information
and clinical data, capacity building and training of medical and paramedical staff, supply of medicines and medical equipment, research coordination
and enhancing
cooperation with frontline international
organizations including
the WHO came under discussion.Sharing Pakistan’s perspective,
Minister of State for Health, Dr Zafar
Mirza underscored that South Asia was particularly
vulnerable on account of its high population
densities, fragile health systems and rudimentary
disease surveillance.
The uncertainties South Asia  particularly vulnerable to corona, Pakistan tells SAARC mootPakistan hosts SAARC health ministers’ video conference; issues including real-time sharing of information and clinical data, capacity building and training of medical and paramedical staff, supply of medicines and medical equipment discussedassociated with the outbreak
had left no room for complacency. However,
it also posed an opportunity
for South Asia to strengthen health systems.
Mirza briefed the participants
about the containment
and relief measures being taken by Pakistan. He highlighted Pakistan’s
strategy of smart lockdowns aimed at containing
the virus, while ensuring that economic
activity was minimally
impeded. Participants agreed to work together
to adopt international
best practices keeping
in view the specific socio-economic circumstances
of South Asia. All heads of delegations presented
their country situations
and efforts to contain the outbreak at national levels.Proposals to fast-track creation of linkages among medical universities,
academia and research
institutions came under review. During the meeting, Pakistan
proposed greater
coordination among health authorities of SAARC Member States in the context of combating the pandemic and in this regard, suggested activating
the SAARC Technical
Committee on Health and Population Activities.
It was agreed to enhance
cooperation in the health sector, particularly
in the context of efforts to combat the virus at the regional level.The Health Ministers’ Video Conference was a reaffirmation of Pakistan’s
commitment to the SAARC process and its efforts to forge closer
cooperation among Member States in situations
such as the Covid-
19 pandemic.All member states and the SAARC Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s
timely