ISLAMABAD: Pakistan needs a permanent, district-level health emergency preparedness system linked with disaster alerts to prevent disease outbreaks and protect displaced communities as extreme weather events become a recurring national reality.
This was stated by Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath on Tuesday
Addressing the National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference, the minister said Pakistan could no longer rely solely on responses after floods, cloudbursts, unusually heavy monsoon rains and other disasters had already struck.
He called for a comprehensive system covering preparedness, response and recovery, with clearly defined roles for federal and provincial health authorities, district administrations, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), humanitarian agencies and development partners.
The conference was organised by Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO), UNFPA, IOM, UNICEF, Save Children and International Rescue Committee. Representatives of provincial health departments, UN agencies, humanitarian organisations, NGOs and INGOs attended the event.
The call comes as Pakistan continues to face recurring climate-related emergencies that disrupt health services and increase risk of malaria, dengue, cholera, diarrhoea and other communicable diseases, particularly among people forced to leave their homes.
The 2022 floods, country’s worst in recent history, affected around 33 million people, displaced nearly eight million and damaged or destroyed about 10 percent of health facilities, according to international assessments. More than eight million people required urgent health assistance in the aftermath, as stagnant water, damaged sanitation systems and disrupted primary healthcare services created conditions conducive to disease outbreaks.
The post-flood disease burden illustrated scale of the threat. In August 2022, Sindh reported 69,123 confirmed malaria cases compared with 19,826 during the same month a year earlier, while Balochistan reported 41,368 cases against 22,032 in August 2021, according to WHO.
Dr Bharath said a review of weather patterns over recent decades showed climate change had become an established reality for Pakistan, with different regions facing severe monsoons, exceptional rainfall, cloudbursts, flooding and other extreme weather events.
“We have to mentally accept this new climate pattern has taken root in different parts of Pakistan”, he said. Emergency response after a disaster alone would not be sufficient, he added.
He said people displaced by disasters faced sharply increased risks of malaria, dengue, cholera, diarrhoea and other infectious diseases, while pregnant women, children, elderly people and other vulnerable groups required special arrangements.
The minister said health ministry, provincial departments, NDMA and partner organisations needed to develop practical standard operating procedures specifying which institution would act, at what level and through what mechanism when a disaster or large-scale displacement occurred.
He emphasised training the health workforce in every district to manage disease outbreaks, provide emergency medical care, address the health needs of displaced populations and deliver services in temporary camps.
“District health systems have to become basic pillar of this entire plan”, he said, warning a timely response would remain difficult unless district-level staff were formally trained and integrated into preparedness planning.
He also called for NDMA’s weather and disaster alerts to be directly linked to health-sector preparedness. Once an alert is issued, he said, the concerned districts should be able to mobilise health teams and ensure availability of medicines, medical supplies and other resources before an emergency escalates.
Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri highlighted the need for stronger institutional frameworks, governance and inter-sectoral coordination to ensure timely responses to emerging health threats. The Director General Health shared technical recommendations focusing on surveillance, risk assessment, rapid-response mechanisms and coordinated action during emergencies.
Provincial representatives stressed the need for stronger coordination, capacity-building, disaster-response training and advocacy. However, the conference did not announce a time-bound national action plan, dedicated financing mechanism or districtwise preparedness targets — issues that are likely to determine whether proposed framework translates into operational capacity.
Dr Mukhtar Bharath said federal government’s role was to establish policy, standards and national coordination, while implementation would depend on provincial governments and district administrations.
He said priority measures following the conference should include workforce training, disaster-health SOPs, protocols covering displacement through rehabilitation and resettlement, and special health arrangements for pregnant women, children and other vulnerable groups.
