Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has made a powerful call to action to bridge the gap between the Global South and the Global North in the healthcare sector. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) session on the global health agenda in Riyadh, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the stark global healthcare inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Prime Minister spoke candidly about his own experience with a “nasty cancer” and the exorbitant costs of treatment that he had to pay out of pocket. He asked how many people in his country could afford such expensive treatment and said, “Not very many”. He went on to pose the question of vaccine distribution between the global north and south, highlighting the need to address these disparities.
Shehbaz Sharif also spoke about the devastating impact of climate change on Pakistan, which he said completely changed the landscape. Despite Pakistan not contributing significantly to emissions, it was on the red list for climate change and in 2022, the country experienced the worst climate change floods. He questioned whether a developing country like Pakistan could afford to invest hundreds of billions of rupees to rehabilitate people and rebuild hospitals, schools, land, and agriculture.
The Prime Minister’s speech also highlighted the work done by his government in providing resources to the far corner of Punjab and hepatitis facilities and CT scans in every remote area of the province for those in need. He also built one of the finest hospitals for kidney and liver in Lahore where free treatments were given to the poor while the rich people were charged. Shehbaz Sharif’s government was able to provide facilities to the people through a combination of cross-option subsidies.
During his two-day visit, Shehbaz Sharif will meet the Emir of Kuwait, Mashal Al Ahmed Al Jaber and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. The forum will provide a key opportunity for Islamabad to showcase its priorities specifically in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalising regional collaboration, and striking a balance between promoting growth and energy consumption.
In addition, the Prime Minister met Islamic Development Bank President Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser on the sidelines of the WEF event, where both sides reviewed the progress on various ongoing IDB-funded projects in Pakistan and explored new opportunities for cooperation between Islamabad and the lender. His reaffirmation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s (SIFC) active role in sourcing foreign investment in the country underlines his government’s commitment to building a better future for the people of Pakistan.
