The United States will discuss the establishment of a Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Pakistan at their first-ever health dialogue in Washington today.
A four-member delegation, led by the federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel arrived in Washington on Saturday for the talks.
A large number of Pakistani health officials and experts will participate virtually in the dialogue, and the delegation will also be joined by Ambassador Masood Khan and other officials from the Pakistani Embassy in the US.
Other participants from the US include experts from the CDC and officials from the State and Health departments.
Both countries have devised a detailed agenda for today’s talks in order to bolster bilateral cooperation in the health sector.
The dialogue will have seven sessions — setting up a CDC in Pakistan; global health security; COVID-19-related engagement; regulatory engagements; non-communicable diseases (NCD); childhood immunizations; and maternal and child health.
The Pakistani Embassy had issued a statement detailing:
The health dialogue is an example of the close ties between the United States and Pakistan and a befitting way to celebrate the important milestone of the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Solid progress is expected.
The US State Department Director of the Pakistan Desk, Neil W. Hop, had remarked last week that the dialogue today would be the largest-ever health talks between the two countries.
About CDC
The CDC is a federal agency in the US under the Department of Health and Human Services that played an important role in curbing the coronavirus pandemic and developing vaccines to control its outbreak.
Its main objective is the protection of public health and safety by controlling and preventing injury, disease, and disability in the US and all over the world. It also works on controlling infectious diseases, environmental health, occupational safety, and educational activities for the improvement of the health of Americans.
The CDC also carries out research and provides information on non-infectious diseases like obesity and diabetes.
