The UKHSA International Health Regulations Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) team in Pakistan met with Dr Lou Dapeng, the newly appointed WHO representative in Pakistan on 9 May 2024.

During the meeting, Pakistan IHR-SP Country Lead Dr Muhammad Sartaj briefed Dr Dapeng on the technical support provided by the IHR-SP over the last eight years. This contribution is crucial for the development and enhancement of Pakistan’s IHR-2005 technical capacities. Dr Sartaj outlined the progress made since the first round of Joint External Evaluation 2016 in disease surveillance, public health laboratories, health emergency management and workforce development through joint efforts between government and development partners. During the meeting, the team discussed the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) implementation in Pakistan and other priority areas of work and collaborations for IHR-SP to further strengthen the system.

Dr Dapeng acknowledged IHR-SP’s commitment to IDSR expansion and implementation in Pakistan and appreciated collaborative work with the key partners. He also emphasised WHO’s leadership role in streamlining the coordination mechanism among partners along with the integration of vertical programmes into the IDSR system going forward.

The IHR-SP team appreciated the WHO efforts for strengthening the governance and coordination mechanism across Pakistan as outlined in the national IDSR roadmap. This is in line with the governance and coordination component of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS 2024-2028).

Dr Muhammad Sartaj reflected on IHR-SP’s ongoing relationship with WHO Pakistan, saying: “It is fantastic to welcome the new WHO representative for Pakistan as a key partner for IHR-SP activity. Dr Dapeng’s vision and leadership towards a strengthened integrated disease surveillance and response system aligns closely with ours. We hope to build on our successes to develop a sustainable and resilient public health system in Pakistan. We look forward to working together."