ISLAMABAD: The federal government has appointed senior public health expert and clinical epidemiologist Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar as National Coordinator of the Common Management Unit (CMU) for AIDS, TB and Malaria, ending a prolonged period during which the country’s key infectious disease coordination body remained without a permanent head.
According to an official notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on May 15, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar has been appointed as National Coordinator (PPS-11/BPS-21) under the PSDP project titled “Strengthening of Common Management Unit for AIDS, TB and Malaria and Accelerating Response to Control the Three Diseases in Pakistan”.
The appointment has been made on the recommendations of the recruitment committee with the approval of the federal health minister. The position is contract based for two years or till completion of the project, whichever is earlier. Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar is regarded as an experienced public health professional, epidemiologist and infectious disease expert with extensive work in hepatitis control, vaccination, public health systems and communicable disease programmes. Officials in the health ministry said the government was aiming to improve oversight of infectious disease programmes and ensure stronger monitoring, accountability and response mechanisms under the new leadership at the CMU.
