Maldivian First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has called for stronger regulatory cooperation between the Maldives and Pakistan, emphasising that public confidence in safe, quality-assured medicines is essential to an effective healthcare system.
She made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing senior management and officials during a visit to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) in Islamabad, where she is accompanying President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on his state visit.
The First Lady highlighted that ensuring reliable access to safe, effective and quality-assured medicines remains a national priority for the Maldives, particularly given the challenges of providing healthcare across geographically dispersed island communities.
She stressed that public trust in medicines must be supported by sound scientific standards, strong regulatory institutions and meaningful international cooperation.
Acknowledging the longstanding ties between the two countries, Sajidha expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s contributions to the Maldivian health sector, including the deployment of Pakistani medical professionals and the training of Maldivian doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.
She also highlighted the health cooperation memorandum of understanding scheduled to be signed between the two countries on Wednesday, describing it as an important step towards strengthening bilateral collaboration.
According to the First Lady, the framework will provide opportunities for technical exchange, capacity building and the sharing of regulatory best practices. She emphasised that the partnership’s success should ultimately be measured by its tangible benefits for people and its contribution to more resilient healthcare systems.
Sajidha concluded by thanking the government and people of Pakistan and commending DRAP’s leadership and personnel for their work in protecting public health.
Before visiting DRAP, the First Lady also toured Pakistan’s National Institute of Health in Islamabad, where she gained insights into the institution’s public health programmes and healthcare research.
