Islamabad: In a rare move defying political pressure, the Ministry of National Health Services has withdrawn the charge of Chief Communicable Disease Control (CDC) at the National Institute of Health (NIH) from Dr. Sadia Akhtar, a medical officer with a diploma in ophthalmology and no prior experience in public health or epidemiology, and instead appointed her as Director, National Health Data Centre (NHDC), official documents reveal.
In another development, two key posts, Executive Director, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Executive Director, Vaccine and Biological Products Centre have been advertised even though the NIH has no Board of Governors (BoG) in place, which under the NIH Reorganisation Act is the competent authority for appointing Executive Directors. The move has raised fresh concerns about governance and transparency at the country’s top public health institution.
Dr. Akhtar, who was deputed from Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi to NIH on September 18, 2025, had reportedly lobbied for the CDC position, considered one of the most sensitive and high-profile public health roles in Pakistan, responsible for epidemic surveillance and compliance with International Health Regulations (IHR).
However, senior officials in the ministry resisted the move, arguing that the position could not be handed to someone without a background in infectious diseases or outbreak management.
A notification issued on October 3, 2025, placed Dr. Akhtar at the disposal of NIH for three years on deputation. A follow-up office order issued by NIH on October 8, 2025, confirmed that she has now been assigned as Director, National Health Data Centre, instead of her earlier intended posting as Chief CDC.
Federal health ministry officials familiar with the matter said that senior management at NIH and within the ministry refused to hand over the CDC charge to Dr. Akhtar, citing concerns over her professional background.
“She has a diploma in ophthalmology and only recently completed an MPH. The CDC division deals with complex epidemiological data, outbreak control, and coordination with WHO. It cannot be run by someone lacking technical training and field experience,” an official said.
Officials said Dr. Akhtar had allegedly used her political connections to secure postings first as Director Administration and later as Chief CDC, but the final decision was reversed after strong opposition from within the ministry.
“This is one of the few times officials have resisted political interference. The CDC role is too critical to be compromised,” a senior health official commented.
The Communicable Disease Control Division is Pakistan’s central command for epidemic detection and response, overseeing surveillance of dengue, malaria, cholera, influenza, and emerging infections. It also coordinates with the World Health Organization (WHO) on outbreak alerts and IHR reporting. The division has remained without a permanent head since the departure of veteran public health expert Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, who previously led Pakistan’s COVID-19 response.
While the data centre post is important for national health information management, it is not a frontline position in outbreak control. “It’s a respectable assignment but far less powerful than CDC. This transfer clearly reflects that her elevation to a core epidemic command role was blocked,” the NIH official said.
The development comes amid a prolonged governance vacuum at NIH, which has been functioning without a Board of Governors for over two years. Despite the Prime Minister’s approval of a new BoG list earlier this year, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal reportedly recalled the summary from the Cabinet Division, stalling the notification and leaving the institution to run through ad hoc arrangements.
Experts warn that the absence of a governing board and the politicization of key appointments have weakened Pakistan’s preparedness for health emergencies. “NIH needs qualified epidemiologists and virologists leading its surveillance units, not politically connected doctors,” said a formal health ministry official. “This reshuffle at least prevents a potential disaster but it also shows how vulnerable our institutions are to outside pressure.”
Repeated attempts to obtain official comments from the health ministry and NIH management went unanswered. However, a senior officer confirmed privately that the appointment of Dr. Akhtar as Director Data Centre was a “compromise solution” aimed at avoiding further controversy while keeping the CDC division under experienced supervision.
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