ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said that health was not merely an administrative concern for Pakistan but also a national security and economic issue, as the growing burden of disease continues to put pressure on the country’s healthcare system.

Addressing the International Conference on Lifestyle Medicine in Islamabad, the minister said tackling the rising disease burden required a greater focus on its underlying causes rather than relying only on expanding hospitals and increasing the number of doctors.

“Building more hospitals and producing more doctors alone cannot provide a sustainable solution to the growing burden of diseases,” he said, stressing the need to promote prevention, healthy lifestyles and public awareness.

Mustafa Kamal said Pakistan’s rapidly growing population would further increase demand for healthcare services, making it difficult to provide additional hospitals, doctors and medical staff for every disease.

The covid-19 pandemic, he added, had demonstrated how even the health systems of large countries came under severe pressure when large numbers of people fell ill simultaneously.

He said the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has completed work on introducing a lifestyle medicine course.

Dr Zafar Mirza, former Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health and president of the Pakistan Association of Lifestyle Medicine, said the lifestyle medicine movement had made significant progress in Pakistan over the past year. He said a National Task Force for Lifestyle Medicine had been established with an agenda aimed primarily at integrating lifestyle medicine into the healthcare system at all levels.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026