Responding swiftly to the call of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry has donated Rs40 million worth of medicines, medical supplies, and emergency kits to flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
Health authorities have reported a sharp surge in diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, malaria, typhoid, respiratory infections, and skin diseases among displaced families in submerged villages and relief camps.
According to the federal health ministry, the donated stock includes antibiotics, anti-malarials, anti-diarrhoeals, antipyretics, analgesics, IV fluids, oral rehydration salts, antifungals, antiseptics, respiratory medicines, diagnostic kits, surgical items, and PPEs.
Officials confirmed that the relief packages were prepared after a rapid disease-pattern assessment of affected districts. The intervention aims to prevent further spread of epidemics as families continue to live in overcrowded shelters with damaged sanitation systems and unsafe drinking water.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal lauded the pharma industry’s quick response: “The Pakistani pharmaceutical industry has once again proved that it stands by its people in times of disaster. This timely intervention will save countless lives.”
Chairman PPMA, Tauqeer-ul-Haq, while overseeing the mobilization, stated: “This is not just charity; it is our national and moral responsibility. We prioritized medicines for children battling diarrhoeal disease, pregnant women needing safe antibiotics, and malaria patients trapped in stagnant water zones.”
Distribution is being handled through provincial health departments and mobile health units to ensure equitable reach across districts.
Health experts caution that without sustained supply of medicines and preventive measures, the risk of cholera, measles, and pneumonia outbreaks remains high in KP and GB.
The pharma sector, which fulfills over 70% of Pakistan’s drug requirements, has once again reinforced its reputation as a first responder in humanitarian crises.