COVID-19 oxygen emergency impacting half a million people globally
A surge in demand for oxygen due to the COVID-19 pandemic has created an emergency impacting half a million people in low- and middle-income countries. New assessments have revealed that $90m (~€74.28m) in immediate funding is needed to meet the urgent demand for oxygen treatment in up to 20 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). COVID-19 [...]
Finding missing TB cases among rural women in Sindh – Empowering women to increase their access to diagnostic & treatment services
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as latent tuberculosis. About 10% of latent infections progress to active disease which, if left untreated, kill about half of those affected. The classic symptoms of active [...]
10 percent of Pakistanis suffer from diabetes
Overeating, lack of exercise and stress are the major factors for causing diabetes. Diabetes Prevalence Survey of Pakistan has revealed staggering 16.98 percent prevalence of diabetes as 35.3 million people among the adult population are found diabetic in Pakistan. The latest data of 2017 belies the old figures of 6.56 [...]
Global Warming and the Conocarpus Phenomena
Dr. Amna Asad, Prof. M. Iqbal Afridi, JPMC Karachi Conocarpus, a non- native plant species in the mega city of Karachi, is a mangrove plant which was planted extensively from 2008 onwards in the metropolis. Around 2.2 million trees were planted by the City District Government of Karachi, with high [...]
Progress, achievements and challenges of IBTA reviewed
Federal Minister of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination, Aamer Mehmood Kiani chaired the meeting of the Islamabad based blood banks in the Health Ministry. The consultative meeting was organized by the Islamabad Blood Transfusion Authority (IBTA). The objective of the meeting was to introduce the Minister to the representatives [...]
UNICEF, WHO to support Pakistan’s mass measles immunisation campaign
More than 32 million children will be immunised against measles, an exceptionally contagious and deadly virus, in two weeks. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) joined the Government of Pakistan in kick-starting a nationwide measles campaign to vaccinate more than 32 million children – one-sixth of [...]
Parents urged to vaccinate children against pneumonia
Doctors have urged parents to get their children vaccinated against pneumonia which is killing 92,000 children under five annually in Pakistan. Prof. Jalal Akbar, President of Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) Sindh and Chairman and Head of Pediatric, Children's Hospital Baqai Medical University said that Vaccines are considered second only to [...]
More than 1,000 children die every day in Pakistan due to absence of medical treatment
To mark World Children’s Day 2018, Childlife Foundation in collaboration with Lyari General Hospital organized at LGH, Karachi. It was attended by parents of sick children besides pediatricians, general practitioners and senior doctors of Lyari General Hospital. Dr. Ahson Rabbani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Childlife Foundation sharing his views [...]
CM Sindh directs education dept to update curriculum
Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed education department to update curriculum and textbooks to align with United Nations Sustainable Goals 2030 for which special focus would be given for improvement of science, mathematics and English language books. This he said that while presiding over a meeting to [...]
99% pneumonia patients die under five years of age
On the occasion of World Pneumonia Day, Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD), Dow University of Health Sciences organized a Seminar at Ojha Campus Karachi. Prof. Dr. Nisar Rao, Director (OICD), Dr. Nadeem Ahmed, Dr. Aisha Wajeeh, Dr. Faheem, Dr. Raheela Kashif, Dr. Farzana Mumtaz and Dr. Mirza Saifullah Baig [...]
Pakistan needs integrated emergency care systems
The global Disease Control Priorities Project estimates that nearly half of deaths and over a third of disability in low- and middle-income countries can be addressed by the implementation of effective emergency care. The solution is to establish integrated emergency and trauma care systems with pre- and post-emergency department care [...]
5000 lives saved at chest pain units of NICVD in a year
Prof. Nadeem Qamar, NICVD Executive Director while speaking at the first anniversary of Nagan Chowrangi Chest Pain Unit said that lives of more than five thousand people who were having heart attacks were saved at the seven Chest Pain Units (CPUs) of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) at Karachi’s [...]
