Breaking Health News in Pakistan: Latest Developments and Key Insights
Pakistan has been grappling with a multitude of healthcare issues for decades. However, the year 2020 and 2021 witnessed unprecedented challenges for the country’s healthcare system. The Covid-19 pandemic created an unparalleled crisis for the country, putting immense pressure on healthcare resources and systems. According to the country’s National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the country has so far recorded over a million Covid-19 cases and more than 23,000 deaths. With the help of vaccination campaigns, Pakistan has started to recover from the pandemic, but it still faces a range of other healthcare challenges. In this blog post, we will discuss the most recent health news and key insights in Pakistan.
Public Health Initiative to vaccinate Citizens
Over the past few months, Pakistan has been actively working towards a vaccination drive to vaccinate its citizens against Covid-19. To date, over 30 million doses of various vaccines have been administered across the country. The vaccination drive faced some challenges in the beginning, such as vaccine hesitancy and a shortage of doses, but the government quickly responded to these challenges by strategizing a better vaccination drive.
Telemedicine Services Providing Better Healthcare Access
Access to quality healthcare had been a major challenge in Pakistan before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with the pandemic, telemedicine services have played a pivotal role in providing access to healthcare to people across the country. Telemedicine refers to the use of digital technologies such as video conferencing, texting, and phone appointments to provide medical consultations. Even after the pandemic is over, telemedicine services are expected to become a norm as they have significantly contributed to expanding access to healthcare.
Tobacco Marketing Control Laws in Pakistan
Tobacco-related illnesses account for a significant number of deaths in Pakistan, with an estimated 160,000 deaths each year. Pakistan has been working towards implementing tobacco marketing control laws, and recently the government has introduced a bill to regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products. If passed, the bill will introduce graphic health warnings on cigarette packs to discourage smoking, and it will be mandatory for retailers to have a license to sell tobacco products.
Maternal Health in Pakistan
Pakistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is 174 deaths per 100,000 live births. In recent years, the government has introduced policies and programs to address the issue. In 2020, the government launched an initiative called “Sehat Sahulat Program,” which aims to provide free health services to the poorest of the poor. Moreover, the government has announced plans to increase the number of skilled birth attendants and expand access to maternal health services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pakistan’s healthcare system is undergoing significant changes and developments. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to develop an effective health infrastructure, which can better manage crises and sustain quality healthcare services. The government has been working actively to address the issues, such as implementing vaccination drives, introducing telemedicine services, implementing tobacco control laws, and addressing maternal health. These initiatives are a step forward in improving the healthcare status of Pakistan, and it is hoped that the country’s healthcare system can provide better healthcare services to its citizens.
