Saira Afzal Tarar is highly respected amongst members of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and an experienced campaigner.Saira Afzal Tarar is a Pakistani politician.She is the current Minister for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination in her office since August 2017.Saira also elected as the Minister of State for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination.She is associated with Punjab Political Party Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Biography

Saira, 2008-13 and 2013-18 elected twice to the National Assembly. Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Federal Government of Pakistan. ^[1]  Biography She is born in Hafizabad city District Hafizabad Pakistan.She did matriculation from Queen Mary School 1983.Married with three children and MSc Home Economics (Housing and Interior Designing) 1991 from College of Home Economics Lahore.One year diploma course in Islamic Studies at Al Huda International 2003.^[2] Education

Political Career

1. Worked as a teacher for two years at Pakistan Islamia Secondry School Sharja UAE 1998 & 1999
2. Member National Assembly of Pakistan from NA 102 Hafizabad from 2013-2018 (Elected member)
3. Member National Assembly of Pakistan from NA 102 Hafizabad from 2008-2013 (Elected member)

Her career in politics began when she decided to join PML-N in 2008. She was given the ticket to contest elections in that same year. Being her first experience in the elections, she was remarkably able to win by beating her rival and thus became a member of national assembly.^[3] Election 2013 In the next elections, in 2013 it came as no surprise when she was given the ticket to contest in the elections. PML N wasn’t disappointed this time around either as she was able to defeat her PTI rival this time around and secured her place in the National assembly.^[4]  Political Career In 2013 she was given an important position of Minister of state for health but after 4 years in the office had to step down after the cabinet was dissolved following the verdict in panama case. She later made the Minister of national health services and coordination.

Party Position

1. Member Central Working Committee (PML) N
2. President PML (N) District Hafizabad

Awards

1. USAID Award on World Tuberculosis Day 2016
2. On World No Tobacco Day 2015 by World Health Organization (WHO)
3. On 6th Annual Research Day 2015 by Dow University of Health Sciences,
4. Rawalpindi Islamabad Bureau’s Journalists Association, the Best Coordination Award, 2015

International Conferences Attended

1. World Health Assembly, Geneva Switzerland, 2016
2. Health Leaders, Ministerial Forum Harvard Loeb Houses Cambridge, MA, 2016
3. 68th Session o f the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization, 2015
4. Sixty Second Session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean from 5-8 October, 2015 in Kuwait.
5. Fifth Meeting of SAAR at India 6th to 8th April, 2015
6. International Inter-Ministerial Conference on South-South Cooperation for Investing I Demographic Dividend in the post ICPD and MDG Development framework 25th to 28th November, 2014
7. World Bank sponsored delegation to Indonesia for education reforms 2010
8. Dialogue on Education Reform In Pakistan-Harvard University , July 15-16, 2011
9. South Asia Consultation on Parliamentarians for Equity and Girl’s Education” 20-22 September 2011 Kathmandu, Nepal under the auspices of UNICEF
10. Dialogue on Private Education in Lahore, Pakistan the 19th -20th of December 2011. The Center for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP) in collaboration with Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and Pomona College

Unprecedented Health Reforms

She was addressing a news conference on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos.The Minister said Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization has presented Pakistan as a model country for undertaking sweeping reforms to improve the efficiency and coverage of immunization program.She said Pakistan’s support from Global Fund and GAVI are products of World Economic Forum.Saira Afzal Tarar said best quality health services have been provided to 3.1 million families across Pakistan under Prime Minister’s National Health Program and now the country is in the process of covering the entire population living below poverty line.She said Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio have been acknowledged by highest monitoring bodies like Independent Monitoring Board and Technical Advisory Group.The Minister said the federal government took major initiatives to mobilize resources, regulate the health sector and coordinate with provinces to achieve shared goals and standardized services.She said Pakistan secured 52 million dollars to implement malaria interventions in 48 endemic districts of Pakistan under New Funding Model of The Global Fund.^[5]  Unprecedented Health Reforms

Area of Drug Regulation

She has introduced reforms in the area of drug regulation to ensure provision of quality and affordable drugs to the people. She has also played a key role in the introduction of the Prime Minister’s National Health Program, Pakistan’s National Health Insurance scheme. She has overseen the strengthening and improving of the efficiency of priority health programmes including the National TB Control Programme, Expanded Program on Immunization, National AIDS Control Programme and Malaria Control Program.^[6] Ten Points She pioneered the introduction of Pakistan’s first ever Drug Pricing Policy, major reforms in Pakistan’s Medical and Dental Council, the launch of the National Health Vision and Ten Point Mother and Child Health Plan of Action in line with health-related Sustainable Development Goals.