In a powerful show of solidarity and resilience, Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry, under the umbrella of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), has donated Rs. 40 million worth of medicines and essential supplies to flood-affected families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
This initiative comes in direct response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appeal for private-sector support amid the devastating floods. According to DRAP and the federal ministry of health, the donated stock was carefully selected after studying prevailing disease outbreaks in the affected regions.
The relief includes a wide spectrum of life-saving and supportive treatments:
- Antibiotics for children suffering diarrhoeal diseases
- Anti-malarialsfor patients in stagnant water zones
- Oral rehydration salts & IV fluids for dehydrated victims
- Respiratory medicines for viral infections
- Analgesics, antiseptics, antifungals, surgical supplies, PPEs, and diagnostic kits
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal hailed the pharma sector’s generosity:
“This is not just corporate responsibility; this is Pakistan standing together. When the government’s resources are stretched, the pharmaceutical industry steps in to fill the gaps.”
PPMA Chairman Tauqeer-ul-Haq stressed that the industry considers such actions a duty, not a choice.
“We have always been there during floods, famines, and conflicts. Our medicines have reached to Pakistan’s flood-hit families, across Khyber Pakhtoonkhua and Gilgit Baltistatn”
Health experts warn that the risk of secondary outbreaks — measles, cholera, pneumonia looms large if medicines and hygiene interventions are not sustained over the coming months.
Despite these challenges, officials affirmed that provincial health departments are distributing the medicines equitably across district hospitals and mobile health units.
The donation also highlights a bigger truth: Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector, which already meets over 70% of domestic drug needs and exports worldwide, is a pillar of national strength in times of crisis.
Once again, the pharma industry has proved that it does not just manufacture medicine — it manufactures hope and resilience.