ISLAMABAD, May 20: While World Health Assembly (WHA) is going on in Geneva, Pakistan is going to table a resolution to declare traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a global public health priority requiring urgent, coordinated and sustained policy action.

Earlier in 2018, Pakistan tabled the landmark resolution on Improving Access to Assistive Technology at the World Health Assembly.

It is worth mentioning that WHA started on 18thMay and will culminate on 23rdof the ongoing month.

In a sideline meeting hosted by the Ministry of National Health Services Pakistan in Geneva, it was marked a major milestone in the global effort to bring traumatic brain injury into the centre of public health policy, prevention, surveillance, rehabilitation, and long-term care.

The event was held in collaboration with the Global TBI Coalition and the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Acquired Brain and Spine Injury (ABSI) at the University of Cambridge. There was also representation of health ministries of Guatemala, South Sudan, Italy, Qatar, Cambodia, and Tanzania, together with additional Member State delegations and senior global health representatives. Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, also contributed a high-level regional perspective on the burden of TBI across fragile, conflict-affected and resource-limited settings.

Throughout the event, speakers emphasized that TBI remains a major but under-recognized cause of death, disability, cognitive impairment, mental health challenges, loss of productivity, educational disruption, family hardship and long-term social and economic burden. Participants highlighted that the impact of TBI continues far beyond emergency care or hospital discharge, with many survivors and families requiring sustained medical, psychological, rehabilitation, social and occupational support.

Technical Advisor World Health Organisation Maryam Mallick, while talking toDawn, said that it will be a major achievement from Pakistan side. “In 2018, Pakistan tabled the landmark resolution on Improving Access to Assistive Technology at the World Health Assembly. It was unanimously adopted,” she said.

Commitment to Global Health Cooperation

Meanwhile Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva, emphasising the need for collective global action, shared responsibility, and strengthened international cooperation to address evolving global health challenges.

Addressing the Assembly, he stated that global health stood at a defining crossroads where the interconnected reality of the modern world demanded unified and coordinated efforts among nations.

Highlighting Pakistan’s healthcare landscape, the minister noted that Pakistan, with a population exceeding 260 million and more than 6.19 million newborns annually, continued to face significant healthcare challenges. However, he underscored that the country has achieved measurable progress in several key areas of public health.

He informed the Assembly that Pakistan has successfully reduced maternal and child mortality, expanded immunisation coverage, and strengthened national responses against tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, dengue, and hepatitis.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2026