By Muhammad Zulqarnain

Expanding healthcare cooperation between Pakistan and China is expected to strengthen cancer treatment, improve access to advanced medical technologies, and enhance clinical research and physician training in Pakistan, health experts believe.

The growing collaboration gained fresh momentum with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Modern Cancer Hospital Guangzhou, Watim Medical & Dental College (WMDC), and the China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA) under the emerging Health Corridor initiative linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan records approximately 185,000 new cancer cases and 125,000 cancer-related deaths each year. With the disease burden projected to rise significantly in the coming decades, experts say international partnerships and technology transfer will be critical to improving diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes.

Speaking with Wealth Pakistan, Dr Muhammad Shahbaz, President of the China Pakistan Medical Association (CPMA), said late diagnosis, cultural barriers, and limited screening programmes continue to undermine cancer survival rates in Pakistan.

He said the recently signed MoU is expected to facilitate access to advanced oncology technologies, specialized treatment protocols, and expert clinical training from leading Chinese institutions.

“Through collaborative research, telemedicine support, and knowledge transfer, Pakistani hospitals will enhance early diagnosis and precision-based therapies, which are critical for improving long-term survival outcomes,” he said.

Dr Shahbaz noted that the partnership could also help reduce treatment costs by minimizing the need for overseas medical travel while expanding the local availability of modern cancer therapies.

He said the agreement helps Pakistani medical professionals through advanced screening techniques, standardized treatment planning, physician exchange programmes, specialized clinical training, joint research initiatives, telemedicine collaboration, and curriculum development support.

According to him, technology transfer and access to advanced diagnostic and treatment protocols will strengthen Pakistan’s oncology ecosystem, improve the standardization of cancer care, and support collaborative cancer data management systems.

He added that these institutional linkages would gradually reduce Pakistan’s reliance on overseas treatment facilities while enhancing local clinical research capacity.

Similarly, Dr Sohail Attaur Rasool, Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology at Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, told Wealth Pakistan that the MoU has the potential to generate substantial benefits by improving access to advanced treatments, enhancing affordability, and increasing survival outcomes.

He said closer cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese medical institutions would strengthen joint research activities, facilitate technology transfer, and support physician training programmes.

Dr Sohail noted that many Pakistani patients currently seek expensive cancer treatment abroad, particularly in Western countries. Greater collaboration with Chinese healthcare institutions could provide more affordable alternatives while improving the quality of treatment available locally.

Healthcare cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese institutions has expanded steadily in recent years, creating new opportunities for knowledge sharing, technological advancement, and institutional collaboration. Experts believe such initiatives can play an important role in strengthening Pakistan’s healthcare infrastructure and improving outcomes for cancer patients while further deepening Pakistan-China relations through health diplomacy.

Credit: INP-WealthPk