The Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR and C) has recommended the imposition of a levy on ultra-processed food products to support health promotion efforts aimed at tackling non-communicable diseases.

The decision was made during a meeting of the Committee held at the Ministry of National Health Services in Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, MNA. The Committee underscored the growing public health threat posed by ultra-processed foods and expressed concern over the Ministry of Science and Technology’s delay in implementing front-of-package warning labels.

Committee members stressed that revenue generated from the proposed levy should be directed towards initiatives promoting healthier dietary habits and reducing the burden of diet-related illnesses. The Committee also emphasized the urgency of regulatory reforms to address inefficiencies in healthcare governance, food standards, and recruitment practices within key health institutions.

In-depth discussions were held on administrative issues at the Polyclinic and the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA), where delays in recruitment and governance lapses were flagged. The Committee directed the Ministry to submit detailed reports on these issues in the next meeting, with specific attention to ensuring transparency and institutional accountability.

A major focus of the session was the performance of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). The Committee highlighted pressing concerns including resource constraints, pending recruitments, and the need to strengthen the regulatory framework against pharmaceutical malpractice. It recommended fast-tracking the rules for filling vacant positions and improving inspection mechanisms for medicines and vaccines.

Members further called for harmonization of drug licensing procedures to reduce processing times and ensure access to quality-assured medicines. The Committee urged DRAP to intensify its oversight of drug efficacy, pricing, and availability. The importance of enhancing penalties for non-compliance and prioritizing domestic vaccine production was also emphasized to reduce dependency on imports.

The Committee acknowledged DRAP’s progress in digitizing its licensing system and noted the development of a standardized harmonized form. It instructed DRAP to present finalized licensing rules in the next meeting to facilitate transparency and regulatory efficiency.

The Committee also disposed of ‘The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2024’, moved by Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, while deferring two other bills-the ‘Islamabad Healthcare Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024’ and the ‘Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2024’-due to the absence of their respective movers.

The meeting was attended by several MNAs and senior officials from the Health Ministry and its affiliated departments.