Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the importance of addressing global disparities in the distribution of vaccines and international cooperation to tackle health challenges.
During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, he stressed the need to address the significant imbalances in vaccine distribution worldwide. He cited the inequities in the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines as a prime example of this issue.
PM Shehbaz also highlighted climate change as a pressing global problem that has drastically altered the environment. Although Pakistan contributes minimally to global emissions, it is among the countries most affected by climate change.
He described the severe flooding in Pakistan in 2022, which caused extensive damage to hospitals, schools, agricultural lands, and other infrastructure.
The government invested billions of rupees to rehabilitate affected communities, but securing foreign aid often required taking on costly loans, raising concerns about how developing nations can sustain such burdens.
Regarding healthcare in Pakistan, PM Shehbaz noted that, as Chief Minister of Punjab, he provided quality healthcare to flood-affected regions and effectively managed a Dengue outbreak.
A state-of-the-art liver and kidney hospital was established in Lahore, offering free treatment to those in need.
PM Shehbaz acknowledged the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s role in eradicating polio from Pakistan and praised the government’s efforts to vaccinate children, even amid the devastating floods of 2022.
