27 April 2020 – Dr Palitha Mahipala, WHO Representative in Pakistan, attended the official ceremony to launch Pakistan’s preparedness and response plan, which was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently. Honourable Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar and representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority also attended. The WHO country office in Pakistan provided technical support to the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination in developing the plan.

Dr Tedros Adhanom, WHO Director-General, addressed the launch through virtual link and highlighted that with the fast-moving spread of the pandemic, Pakistan requires, now, more than ever, flexible and timely funding. Dr Tedros said that Pakistan’s COVID-19 Response Plan was a joint strategy of the Government of Pakistan, the United Nations and partners and was aligned with the global goals of the United Nations.

Donors, partners and representatives from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Government of China, Republic of Korea, Government of Australia, European Union, United States, Canada and France were also present at the event. A number of representatives of UN United Nations agencies, international organizations and the media also joined the virtual launch.

The Government of Pakistan launched its preparedness and response plan requiring US$ 595 million to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity in emergency prevention, preparedness, response and relief and build health systems to mitigate the recovery from COVID-19.