The Honorable Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, visited the Center for Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCD), Karachi, home to Pakistan's first and largest genetic sequencing facility. During the visit, Professor Dr. Danish Saleheen, CEO of CNCD, briefed him on the research activities being conducted at the center, particularly the Pakistan Genome Resource (PGR) Program. He informed the Honorable Minister that more than 250,000 participants have already been enrolled in this landmark research initiative, with plans to scale the program up to one million participants.

The Honourable Minister toured all departments of the Centre, visited the research laboratories, and interacted with the research and laboratory staff. He expressed appreciation for CNCD's state-of-the-art research and development facilities, particularly its next-generation sequencing facility, which is equipped with an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system. Detailed discussions were also held on the role of genetic testing in reducing the burden of diseases in Pakistan through early diagnosis, disease prevention, and more effective treatment.

The Honourable Federal Minister appreciated CNCD's advanced infrastructure, research capabilities, and scientific facilities, and assured his full support and cooperation for this important national initiative. Additional secretry health Mr. Laeeq Ahmed and joint secretary Mr Syed Salahuddin Ahmed also accompanied with him during this visit. As part of his visit, he also planted a tree at CNCD as a symbol of growth, sustainability, and a healthier future for Pakistan.