ISLAMABAD: National Taskforce on Lifestyle Medicine (NTLM) has approved a series of measures aimed at integrating lifestyle medicine into medical education and public health policy.
The meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, reviewed progress made since the task force’s inaugural session and discussed strategies to address the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through evidence-based lifestyle interventions.
The meeting was attended by health experts, medical educators, representatives of professional bodies, and officials from relevant government institutions, including former special assistant to the prime minister Prof Dr Zafar Mirza, who is also president of the Pakistan Association of Lifestyle Medicine (PALM), Director General (Health) Dr Wali Khan, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Tanwir Khaliq, and representatives of the National Institutes of Health, the Higher Education Commission and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
According to a statement, during the meeting, the minister directed the task force to institutionalise lifestyle medicine within the country’s medical education system.
He said the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) would be requested to incorporate lifestyle medicine into undergraduate medical curricula, while a dedicated subcommittee would develop the required academic modules.
The meeting also decided to ask the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) to include lifestyle medicine in postgraduate medical education and residency training programmes.
In another decision, Mustafa Kamal approved the establishment of a healthy food kiosk at the ministry through a public-private partnership model. Officials said the initiative would build on successful healthy menu reforms and could serve as a model for other public sector institutions.
Addressing the meeting, the minister said Pakistan’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases required a decisive shift from treatment-focused healthcare to prevention through healthier lifestyles.
He said the National Task Force on Lifestyle Medicine would continue to provide strategic guidance for incorporating evidence-based lifestyle interventions into national health policies, medical education, workplace wellness and community health programmes.
The ministry reiterated its commitment to working with academic institutions, professional organisations, development partners, civil society and the private sector to promote sustainable lifestyle-based interventions aimed at improving public health across the country.
Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2026