Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister, Syed Qasim Ali Shah attended the Fourth International Public Health Conference as a special guest held at Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar. The four-day international conference is being held from April 16 to April 19 at (KMU).
Eminent experts and speakers from the University of Central Lancashire, Aga Khan University, Qatar University, Dow University of Health Sciences, Baqai University, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, World Bank, WHO, and other relevant institutions delivered lectures on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, health hazards under climate change, and strengthening healthcare systems.
Addressing the conference, the minister stated that thirty per cent of our society is afflicted with diabetes, and symptoms like high blood pressure are prevalent among eighteen-year-olds. “We not only need to talk about health but also take practical steps”, he added. “In this regard, we are launching initiatives under ‘Live Well’ to emphasise healthy living among students in educational institutions.
We urge students to participate actively in this initiative”, he maintained. The minister also distributed appreciation shields among the conference speakers.
The speakers at the conference revealed in their lectures that fifty per cent of deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are due to non-communicable diseases, the prevention of which is entirely possible.
It was highlighted in the conference that society’s average lifespan has been limited to 67 years, whereas in developed countries like the UK, it is 87 years. It was suggested that by changing lifestyle and adopting healthy habits, life expectancy can increase by up to twenty years.
