ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has established 155 District Disease Surveillance and Response Units (DDSRUs) all across Pakistan.
In an Auspicious Ceremony held at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination in Islamabad on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor for Health Dr. Faisal Sultan expressed his gratitude to the USAID and acknowledged that this historic support of establishing 155 DDSRUs all across Pakistan will go a long way in instituting the integrated disease surveillance system in Pakistan and will reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with infectious diseases with timely prevention, detection and response.
The Provincial Health Ministers, Provincial Health Authorities, and in charges of DDSRUs participated in the Ceremony through a virtual link.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Major General Aamer Ikram explained the importance of such units which will now be connected to their respective provinces and ultimately to the federal epidemiology and disease surveillance division housed in NIH Islamabad for timely reporting on all infectious diseases, especially COVID-19 in these times.
The Chief of Party (COP) IHSS-SD Activity Dr. Nabeela Ali gave a detailed presentation on the COVID-19 support to provinces by USAID.
At the occasion, the USAID Mission Director Julie Koenen pledged to continue this rewarding partnership with the health system of Pakistan and articulated the vision of the US Mission to improve the quality of life of the people of Pakistan by investing in the social sector.
