Pakistan

Pakistan among countries with rising malaria, tuberculosis infections

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Huge surges in malaria infections after floods in Pakistan.
Increase in weather events leaving poorer populations vulnerable.
Tuberculosis cases also rising in Pakistan.

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: There has been a huge surge in malaria and tuberculosis cases in Pakistan amongst the poorest populations of the country due to recent catastrophic floods.

These revelations were made during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos by the executive director of the world’s biggest health fund in Davos on Monday.

Climate change is increasing malaria infections, said Peter Sands, the executive director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He added that the malaria infections followed by recent floods in Pakistan and cyclones in Mozambique in 2021 are increasing.

The increase in extreme weather events, and the resulting large pools of standing water that attract mosquitoes, are leaving poorer populations vulnerable.

He said climate change was also changing the geography of mosquitoes. The highlands of Africa, in Kenya and Ethiopia, are now succumbing to malaria because of a shift in the low temperatures that once made the area unsustainable for mosquitoes.

Sands runs the world’s largest global fund, which invests in fighting tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS in some of the poorest nations in the world.

The fund, which set a target of raising $18 billion, has so far raised $15.7 billion, the largest amount of money ever raised in global health.

Part of the shortfall, he said, was a billion-dollar hit from currency fluctuations that affected donations.

Looking ahead, climate change is just one of the factors that could hamper efforts to eradicate the diseases, Sands said.

The war in Ukraine has led to a worsening of AIDS and tuberculosis. In middle-income countries such as India, Pakistan and Indonesia, tuberculosis cases amongst the poorest populations are also rising.

With fears of a global recession rising, Sands said those countries would come under increased pressure.

“I think the big concern from our perspective is what happens to health budgets in the 120 or so countries we are investing.”

And even within those health budgets, how much is being taken up by COVID?”

Latest News

Saad Rafiq: Ali Amin Gandapur’s threat to storm Islamabad is a major issue.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has threatened to storm Islamabad, according to Khawaja Saad Rafique, a former minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). This is a very serious situation.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has reportedly launched attacks on the federal capital in the past in an attempt to seize Islamabad, according to Saad Rafiq on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).

“However, PTI got nothing and it resulted in creating chaos, hatred and economic destruction,” he continued.

He added, “If the anarchists attack Islamabad to occupy it this time too, it will become impossible for them to return as rulers.”

According to the leader of the PML-N, fascist behavior will no longer be accepted, and the dirty politics of violence, fire, and ransacking will no longer be effective.

The PTI, he said, has to act rationally and refrain from inciting another May 9.

Latest News

IHC will consider a case today challenging the election of the Senate chairman and deputy

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Today is the scheduled hearing for the suit seeking action against the chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate election violations before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The case against the violation of the custodians of the Senate election will be heard by Justice Aamer Farooq of IHC.

The April 9th Senate election, which was held in violation of Article 60 of the Constitution, was highlighted in the petition.

According to the plea, it was alarming that the poll Commission had decided to postpone the Senate poll till after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

On the grounds of constitutional violations, a petition was filed to declare the April 9 Senate election, which included the chairman and deputy chairman, illegal.

Relevantly, Ishba Kamran, a resident of Sargodha, has also filed a motion in court to initiate Article 6 proceedings.

Latest News

The first Air Ambulance Service training session in Pakistan begins.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The first training session for the Air Ambulance Service of Pakistan has commenced.

A unique meeting was conducted to assess the service’s advancement, overseen by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Aside from the Punjab chief secretary, secretary of finance, and director general of rescue services, other officials in attendance included provincial information minister Azma Bukhari.

The announcement that the first Air Ambulance Service training session had begun was made at the briefing.

CM Maryam Nawaz announced her resolve to grow the service’s operations while highlighting the initiative’s importance.

Her commitment to utilizing all provincial resources for the welfare and improvement of the public was reaffirmed as she emphasized its vital role in responding to crises and accidents in remote places.

The air ambulance service will be deployed in emergency situations and made available to other provinces as needed, she said, emphasizing the importance of protecting human life.