By NNN-APP,
Washington : Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman, who also holds the portfolio of health, conferred with the US Secretary for Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt, for boosting cooperation between the two countries in the health sector.
During her 45-minutes meeting, Sherry Rehman informed the US Secretary for Health that the newly elected Government of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is keen to broaden cooperation with United States in all areas including economy, trade and social sectors.
This, was clearly reciprocated in new legislation being introduced in the U.S. Congress by Senator Joseph Biden and Richard Lugar of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sherry Rehman informed her counterpart about the challenges being faced in the health sector and sought U.S. assistance in training medics, vaccine production and providing technology to overcome these challenges.
She said that resource constraints had restricted Government’s efforts for preventive treatment for several infectious diseases. Cases of Polio, which had been eradicated from the country, have resurfaced. This was a cause of concern to the Government, she said.
The Lady Health Worker program is a success story. This, the Minister said, is a community based program which has been mobilized in the country to provide primary health care to the mother and child.
Mike Leavitt told Ms. Rehman that United States values the role played by Pakistan in the war on terror and evinced his keen interest in extending all possible assistance to Pakistan in the health sector.
He observed that while the United States provides assistance to other countries it goes unnoticed as most of it is routed through multilateral organizations.
Both, Ms. Sherry Rehman and Mr. Mike Leavitt, agreed that bilateral assistance and cooperation between the two countries would be much more effective. This will not only improve relations between the two peoples but also help in better utilization of the funds.
Sherry Rehman extended an invitation to Mike Leavitt to visit Pakistan which he accepted with pleasure and expressed his desire to visit Pakistan at the earliest.