ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia have decided to increase cooperation in areas such as vaccine production in Pakistan, the establishment of medical institutions in Indonesia, pharmaceutical development and human resource exchange.

This was discussed during a meeting of Charge d Affaires of Embassy of Indonesia to Pakistan Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma with the Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath.

Dr Mukhtar expressed commitment to advancing the partnership, emphasising that Pakistan viewed its collaboration with Indonesia as a strategic priority.

He highlighted that government-to-government and people-to-people linkages were essential for building sustainable health systems, and placed particular focus on vaccine production as a critical area of mutual interest.

Reproductive health

Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal held a meeting with the UNFPA Representative in Pakistan Dr. Luay Shabaneh, to discuss areas of mutual collaboration, particularly in the domains of family planning, maternal and child health, and the growing population trends in the country.

During the meeting, the minister emphasised the need to further strengthen strategic cooperation to achieve tangible outcomes in population management and reproductive health.

“Pakistan is currently the fifth most populous country in the world, and if this trend continues, it is projected to become the fourth most populous by 2030,” said the minister.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2025