Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain has called for greater international investment in animal health, disease surveillance and One Health systems.

He was addressing a high-level session on "FAO and the Pandemic Fund: Building Robust Animal Health Systems and Sustainable Solutions to Prevent the Next Pandemic" at FAO Headquarters in Rome today.

The Minister said pandemic prevention must begin upstream by addressing risks at the human-animal-environment interface and strengthening systems capable of detecting and containing threats before they become crises.

He said that significant progress had been made in less than eighteen months of implementation.

On animal health, the Minister said an upgraded electronic Animal Disease Reporting and Surveillance System is being developed with the endorsement of all provinces and regions.

The Minister said Pakistan is ready to share its experience of operationalizing the One Health approach within a large and complex federal system and welcomed continued cooperation with FAO, the Pandemic Fund Secretariat and member states.

He appreciated FAO's technical expertise and field presence in strengthening animal health systems and advancing the One Health approach.

Rana Tanveer Hussain called for continued international cooperation and sustainable financing to consolidate gains in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.