By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said that adoption of preventive measures against various diseases was prerequisite to ward off treatment which was expensive in Pakistan and such habits would also help reduce burden on the health system. The president expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) that called on him at that Aiwan-e-Sadr to present a report on the activities and accomplishments of the organization, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.
The president stressed upon creating awareness among the masses about the significance of preventive measures against non-communicable diseases and heart diseases.
He also underscored the need about the role of media, local population, mosques and non government organizations to create such awareness, besides utilization of different latest platforms to spread awareness messages.
PANAH President Major General (retd) Masud Ur Rehman Kiani briefed the president about the role of the organization and public awareness campaigns including holding of walks, seminars, lectures and training sessions. He said that they were creating awareness among the people about healthy activities and lifestyle. President Alvi appreciated PANAH for its contributions in the health sector.
Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday stressed the need for adopting preventive care to address health-related challenges, especially oral diseases, in Pakistan, adding that over 90 per cent of dental issues could be prevented by adopting healthy habits. The president said that a resource-constrained country like Pakistan could not afford to provide curative care to such a large population, however, creating awareness could help reduce the disease burden on the country’s health sector.
The president expressed these views while addressing the National Health Summit organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).
Speaking on the occasion, the president highlighted the importance of physical hygiene, he said that from the Islamic teachings, it stood proved that personal hygiene was linked with spiritual purity.
He said that poor dental health could lead to other problems, affecting the overall well-being of individuals. He said about 90 per cent dental cases could be cured if prevention habits were developed by the people including regular brushing of teeth, similar was the case with communicable diseases.
The president urged all the stakeholders and the business community to play their role in creating awareness among the masses about health-related issues including dental health, mental stress and population growth. The president said that the entire nation had set a precedent in the world with their collective efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed that such a display of unity was critical to address disconcerting issues in education, health and economic sectors.
