The participants were given a detailed briefing, showcasing Pakistan’s response to COVID-19 which also highlighted various strands of country’s strategy to tackle the pandemic. The briefing included an appraisal of the current level of disease in Pakistan vis-à-vis its prevalence regionally and globally

Ansar M Bhatti

ISLAMABAD: To highlight the successful efforts of the Government against COVID-19, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) organized a briefing session for members of the diplomatic corps and international organizations based in Islamabad. Mr. Asad Umar, Chairman NCOC and Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives outlined multiple dimensions of Pakistan’s national response. Lt. Gen. Hamood Uz Zaman, National Coordinator NCOC, Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistance to Prime Minister on Health, and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood were also present.

The participants were given a detailed briefing, showcasing Pakistan’s response to COVID-19 which also highlighted various strands of country’s strategy to tackle the pandemic. The briefing included an appraisal of the current level of disease in Pakistan vis-à-vis its prevalence regionally and globally. The participants were also briefed on various aspects of ‘smart’ and ‘micro smart’ lockdown strategy as well as its success in containing the spread of the disease. Besides, statistics on disease outlook, vaccination strategy of the Government, ability of the health care system to cope with the existing requirements as well as its future capacity building were highlighted.

The Minister stressed the need for joint global strategy and response to fight the pandemic and called for uninterrupted and even supply of vaccines globally for early eradication of the pandemic.

The participants thanked for the comprehensive briefing and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the disease in the country.