ISLAMABAD: Health expert Dr. Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti on Wednesday said that State-of-the-art health facilities, healthcare professionals and proper research with adequate infrastructure was needed to become more viable country in health sector.
He said this while addressing COMSTECH webinar on “South Asia’s Health Care Challenges” held online.
Dr. Bhatti said that South Asia spent only two percent of GDP on healthcare which was inappropriate to meet the current and future challenges of health in the region.
He said that a combination of genetic, physiological, lifestyle and environmental factors could cause non-communicable diseases.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causing disease burden in south Asia.
He said, leading risk factors like dietary habits, tobacco and high blood pressure were causing these diseases.
He mentioned that industrialization, westernization of lifestyles and aging were health influencing factors.
Dr. Bhatti emphasized regional specific research and individualized healthcare.
He said, “Personalized medicine is an emerging practice of medicine that uses an individual’s genetic profile to guide decisions made in regard to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.”
He said that poorly controlled diabetes puts us at higher risk of certain infections, including some fungal ones.
He said that in Pakistan after 50 years of age, people start facing blood pressure issues.
He suggested to improve the lifestyle and remove the causes of blood pressure that included not having the right food besides our way of cooking.
He recommended to form a committee of experts by the government with the mandate to ensure healthy food provision to the masses.
Dr. Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti is a medical doctor. He is founding president of Pakistan Association of Integrative Medicine and executive coaching lead for South Asian Academy of Physicians and Surgeons.
This webinar was open to academicians, scientists, and the general public from all the member OIC states. More than one hundred people attended this webinar online.