ISLAMABAD -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army Sahir Shamshad Mirza on Tuesday said that cooperation among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries can play a significant role in addressing healthcare challenges, the Pakistani military said in a statement.

Addressing the opening session of a seminar "Challenges in Military Medicines" being hosted by Pakistan, Mirza highlighted that in the wake of new pandemics and humanitarian crises, the collective preparedness and response strategies by the SCO member states are of vital importance, the statement said.

Strengthening of multilateral collaboration amongst SCO nations especially in the field of military medicines can help address the prevailing healthcare challenges, said the statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani army's media wing.

Mirza also reiterated his country's commitment to expand cooperation with SCO member states, the statement added.