LAHORE, SEPT 27 (DNA) – Health experts have warned that Pakistan can approach absolute scarcity levels of water and face a drought as early as 2025. These hazards, pose not only threats to individual health but also to economic growth, food security and environmental sustainability, they said and added efforts to include environmental considerations in all phases of policy making, planning and development must be actively pursued. The experts expressed these views during a seminar held to observe “World Environmental Health Day 2017”, here on Tuesday. Project Management Unit-Punjab Public Health Agency (PMU-PPHA), Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, Government of the Punjab organized the event in collaboration with UNICEF.
Dr. Shabnum Sarfraz CEO PPHA welcomed the Chief Guest, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz Khan, Provincial Minister for Environment Protection, Provincial Minister Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Khawaja Imran Nazeer and Provincial Minister Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja
Salman Rafique. Also present at the occasion were Member Health Planning and Development Department, Dr. Shabana Haider, and Captain (R) Saif Anjum, Secretary Environment Protection Department.
On this occasion, government officials from both federal and provincial departments and ministries including Punjab’s Environment Protection Department, environmental health experts, development professionals, and technical experts from UN agencies, as well as leading national and international organizations were also present.
