Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday ordered a nationwide ban on the manufacture and use of substandard syringes, calling for immediate measures to curb the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis C.
Chairing a meeting in Islamabad to review efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C, the prime minister directed authorities to take strict legal action against individuals and healthcare facilities found using unauthorized syringes or guilty of criminal negligence in preventing their use.
He also ordered the formation of a special committee comprising health experts to recommend measures for controlling communicable diseases, stressing that the body must consult provincial governments while preparing its proposals.
Emphasising the need for stronger legislation, PM Shehbaz directed the Ministry of Law to coordinate with relevant departments to propose amendments to the existing legal and regulatory framework.
He said the formulation and effective implementation of a comprehensive national strategy was essential to tackling the growing public health challenge.
The prime minister also instructed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to engage with the medical device manufacturing industry and submit policy recommendations aimed at permanently preventing the transmission of infectious diseases through the use of unsafe syringes.
