PM AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan appreciates global agencies’ colossal support in improving region’s health sector

MUZAFFARABAD, July 07 (SABAH): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan has appreciated the UN-WHO, UNICEF and other global agencies for their colossal support in improving the health sector in Azad Kashmir.

The AJK PM made these remarks during his meeting with Dr. Palitha Mahipala Country Head, UN-WHO and representatives of UNICEF, Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization-GAVI Mission held at PM House Muzaffarabad on Thursday. While welcoming the participants of the meeting he said that the government was looking forward to building a stronger partnership with international organizations in the coming future.“I am pleased to say that this (AJK) is the most developed region of the country”, the PM said, adding the region’s literacy rate was 77 percent and health indicators were also better as compared to the national level. He said that the government of AJ&K has made good progress on 17 sustainable development goals-SDGs.“We are grateful to our global and federal partners in health sector with high regards to Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), UN-WHO UNICEF and Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) through regular programmatic interventions and during emergencies in the health sector”, he said.“We have faced major challenges, several disasters and constantly facing challenges at the Line of Control”, the PM said, adding that global agencies’ support has been instrumental in dealing with these challenges.

“We are thankful to Worthy WR for your special consideration and medical supplies for Line of Control in the current year. You have always honored your commitments”, the PM AJK Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan said, adding that the government was looking forward to strengthening the partnership. The Prime Minister assured the visiting delegation that his Government was ready to provide any support and guidance to the donors for operating their functions in AJ&K to help achieving the “2030 Agenda for Sustainability Development”

Dr. Palitha Mahipala Country Head, UN-WHO thanked the AJK PM for ownership of UN-WHO interventions in the state and great hospitality extended by him to the visiting delegation. Dr. Mahipala shared the detail interventions of UN-WHO in AJ&K substantial methodological and enduring support by GAVI and United Nations in particular WHO and UNICEF to Azad State of accomplishing and supporting public health emergencies in the state, along with the smooth organization of regular programmes like Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)/ Polio eradication initiative (PEI), Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) and others.

The meeting was attended by Minister Finance Abdul Majid Khan, Sardar Akbar Ibrahim, Minister SDMA and 1122, Ali Shan Soni, Minister Food & Mineral Resources, Nisar Ansar Abdali, Minister Health, Maj. General Ahsan Altaf Satti, Secretary Health, Faheem Abbasi, Additional IG /Chairman CBR, Dr. Aftab Hussain, Director General Health, Dr. Abdul Sattar, Director Programme Expanded Programme on Immunization. Whereas the Dr. Palitha Mahipala Country Head, UN-WHO was accompanied by Ms. Carrie Gheen, Senior Country Manager, GAVI, Mr. David Powell, Head Financial Management Portfolio, GAVI, Mr. Mario Jimenez, Programme Manager, GAVI, Dr. Inoussa Kabore, Deputy Representative UNICEF, Dr. Yasmine Challoub, Senior Immunization Manager, UNICEF, Dr. Sofia Yunus, DG FDI, Mossavir Ahmed, Donor Coordinator Federal EPI and others.