Pakistan’s fight against tobacco on June 4, 2021Last month, Pakistan was among the recipients of a WHO (World Health Organisation) award to observe No World Tobacco Day 2021. The country’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) was recognised for its tobacco control efforts. While this is to be appreciated, the latter still has to tackle the lack of cessation […]
Technologies vs the Bulge on March 28, 2020Medical doctor, specialized in Health Services Management from Griffith University Australia. I am also alumina of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Most of us have been down the road where we have struggled to lose weight and keep it off. With the media portraying an image of a perfect body is, many of […]
Coronavirus: a global threat blown out of proportion? on March 6, 2020With the coronavirus monopolising and haunting the global health community and people churning all kind of rumours, countries are taking control measures ranging from that of panic to effective surveillance.Pakistan has been recently appreciated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr PalithaMahipala, WHO’s representative in Pakistan, said that Pakistan’s efforts to deal with the challenge […]
Cervical cancer hidden behind closed doors on February 10, 2020The Pakistani population thrives behind a dense curtain of socio-cultural taboos. Sexual organs and everything associated with themare hushed words, often muted completely or trashed in the hardware of our brain’s computers. Yet again, as the dark internet thrives giving rise to unsafe sexual practices, birthing various sexually transmitted infections (STI).One of the most common […]
Need for a Global Convention on obesity control on December 21, 2019At the other end of the malnutrition scale lies the “GLOBESITY” pandemic capturing headlines and spurring research into new directions. Dramatic shifts in the way people around the world today are eating, drinking and moving is clashing drastically with our biology creating significant transitions in our body compositions, increasing risks of death, morbidity and accelerated […]
Health workforce shortage crisis on December 9, 2019Despite a respectable social image health professionals enjoy, Pakistan is in the middle of an acute health workforce shortage which is growing and will reach to 700,000 by the year 2030 – this includes a colossal deficit of 58,000 physicians including specialists. How to overcome this shortage crisis would be a massive task for the […]
Pakistan needs e-healing on December 2, 2019With growing penetration of the Internet in things in Pakistan, telemedicine is the medical prescription to achieve the so-far elusive goal of “healthcare for all.” Last year, the federal government evolved its first-ever Digital Policy; involving different sectors. It incorporated a health section to facilitate and assist the Ministry of National Health Regulations & Coordination […]
Dilemma of tobacco cessation in Pakistan on November 15, 2019Pakistan along with the world is facing a huge dilemma. Nicotine is addictive not cancerous. When a cigarette is burnt, it causes cancer. Should new nicotine delivery products like e-cigarette be promoted as a ‘quit cigarette’ health initiative? The investigation on the recent spate of deaths in the US relating to vaping remains inclusive. The […]