ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said the goal should be to keep people healthy and prevent them from becoming patients.

“Expanding hospitals alone would not solve Pakistan’s health challenges unless equal attention is given to disease prevention, primary healthcare, health promotion and strengthening the foundations of the health system,” he said while inaugurating the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad.

The minister said Pakistan possessed the talent, institutional capacity and professional potential required to build a stronger and more resilient health system from within.

He emphasised the importance of producing competent doctors, pharmacists and public health professionals who can serve society with integrity, professionalism and a strong sense of public responsibility.

Highlighting demographic challenges, Mustafa Kamal observed that Pakistan’s rapidly growing population was placing increasing pressure on health services. He stressed the need for a trained, ethical and prevention-oriented health workforce capable of protecting communities, promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing the burden of disease before illness occurs.

HSA Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahzad Ali Khan said pharmaceutical sciences constituted a vital pillar of the healthcare system and that the new School of Pharmaceutical Sciences would further strengthen HSA’s academic, research and policy contributions in pharmacy, public health, regulation and health systems development.

Registrar Prof Dr Tariq Mehmood Ali highlighted the institutional growth of HSA, noting its transformation from a small training institution into a leading national public health university with thousands of students, multiple academic schools and strong collaborations with public health institutions, regulatory authorities and government organisations across Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the health ministry organised a national consultative meeting on the Draft National Population Stabilisation Programme (NPSP) 2026-35, developed with the support of the Ministry of Finance.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, Economic Affairs Division, United Nations agencies, international development partners, the Population Council and other stakeholders.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said population stabilisation was not merely a policy option but a national imperative for Pakistan’s economic survival, social development and future prosperity. He emphasised that political commitment, inter-provincial harmony and robust resource mobilisation were key components required to translate the plan into tangible outcomes on the ground.

On the occasion, Adnan Pasha, Adviser to the Federal Minister for Finance, presented a comprehensive demographic outlook of the country. He informed participants that Pakistan’s population was on a trajectory of unprecedented growth and would reach 390 million by 2050 if current trends continue.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026