Category: Health

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Expressing grave concern over Pakistan’s healthcare system, representatives from AwazCDS-Pakistan, Pakistan Development Alliance and Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) shared where Pakistan is standing in terms of achieving Universal Health Coverage. They said in a joint statement that Pakistan is far away in achieving universal health coverage unless GDP spending’s on health sector enhanced at least up to 8.2% from 2.8% today. Pakistan’s healthcare system is extremely under served by both government and private sector as we spend only 2.8% of GDP to provide primary and tertiary level health services to 223 million people. This is pertinent to mention here that public spending of GDP is less than half (0.9%) of the private spending i.e. 1.9 %. This spending is lowest if we compare with other peer countries in the region. Chief Executive, AwazCDS – Pakistan demanded that currently number of healthcare providers are far less than needed. For example Doctors rate per 1000 population is 0.6 whereas the least requirement is 0.9. This leads to greater vulnerability of poor households to health shocks. The number of other medical professionals and personnel such as nurses and midwives should increase to almost six times. According to the most recent Citizens Scorecard conducted by AwazCDS-Pakistan only 28.90% people are satisfied by the health services being provided both in public and private sector, Zia added. Pakistan progress on SDG 3 (good health and well-being for all) is stagnating and need immediate attention of public and private sector. He further highlighted that there are numerous weaknesses in the health system with respect to reproductive health bill awaiting cabinet’s approval, mental health policy is obsolete and was revised in 2003 last time, weak monitoring and feedback mechanism, poor inter department coordination and ineffective budget monitoring etc. are adding in the challenges. The COVID -19 pandemic has tested country’s health infrastructure and also identified need for more investment in health sector Marium Amjad Khan, Program Manager of AwazCDS-Pakistan said that most marginalized communities including people living with disabilities, transgender communities, minorities, ultra-poor and indigenous communities at large are at greater risk specially in case of emergencies, disasters and pandemics. People specially women in flood affected areas of Pakistan still looking for better health services to meet their immediate health needs, She also demanded to improve the national health coverage database that provides generic information on adult population only instead bifurcated data on the basis of age, gender and physical disability.

The Diabetes Centre in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Pakistan announces the launch of Blue Lilies, a multidisciplinary clinic for children living with Type-1 Diabetes.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The Diabetes Centre and Novo Nordisk Pakistan under its Memorandum of Understanding announced the launch of TDC Blue Lilies Clinic for children living with Type-1 Diabetes. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Jakob Linulf Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Dr Asjad Hameed Chairman Board of Directors, TDC, Tahir M. Abbasi, CEO TDC, Dr Nuzhat Hameed, Board Member of TDC and Rashed Rafique Butt, VP & GM Novo Nordisk.

Tahir M. Abbasi in his opening address briefed the audience about the goal of the project which was to increase awareness and educate the children living with type 1 diabetes along with their families, capacity building of HCPs on type 1 diabetes management, and lastly improve access to better diabetes care. He further highlighted that the clinic will be setup within their facility.

Dr Asjad Hameed in his speech stressed upon the fact that diabetes is a situation that needs to be addressed urgently as it poses a great burden on the economy of Pakistan. He was proud to have his idea of Blue Lilies come to fruition where children living with Type-1 Diabetes will be provided affordable care. He also thanked Rashed Rafique Butt and Novo Nordisk Pakistan as through their concerted efforts this was possible.

His Excellency Jakob Linulf Danish Ambassador to Pakistan shared his thoughts on Blue Lilies and appreciated the multidisciplinary characteristic such as the support and education to the parents and children. He was touched by the idea and appreciated that an initiative like this is certainly a step in the right direction.

Rashid Rafique Butt, Vice President and General Manager Novo Nordisk Pakistan also talked about the diabetes burden in Pakistan, in addition to the general perception of a parent is towards the child’s health and how they are often misguided.

The TDC Blue Lilies Clinic will operate under supervision of the staff at TDC.

Sehat Kahani along with the collaboration of Jubilee Life Insurance hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Event at the Presidency under the title “I CAN-CER VIVE” on 1st December 2022.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The session was chaired by the Honorable First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Arif Alvi. The objective of this event along with spreading awareness was to share the battles of breast cancer survivors to motivate more people to come forward to talk about this deadly disease. The survivors were also given a momento by the First Lady to honor their brave journey.

Sehat Kahani, this year, pledged to provide at least 3 free of cost online consultations via its application to any female in Pakistan who needs to access a doctor for her symptoms. Sehat Kahani also joined hands with Jubilee life to add unlimited online consultations to its Cancer Protection Program for breast cancer patients.

Additionally, to complete the circle of care, Sehat Kahani is also creating a National Breast Cancer Patient Support Program which will offer peer-to-peer support, counseling, and mental health help to cancer patients. These support programs will commence in January 2023.

On this occasion, the CEO and Co-founder of Sehat Kahani, Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram highlighted the role of Sehat Kahani against breast cancer by saying:

“Being a female-led and female-owned organization, Sehat Kahani aims to provide the circle of care for women facing breast cancer. The survivors we are honoring today are the beacons of resilience from whom we can all take motivation. Our National Breast Cancer Patient Support Program will strengthen our resolve in completing the circle of care for our fellow warriors.”

Moreover, Jubilee Life Insurance offers a ‘Cancer Protection Plan’, a comprehensive plan which helps in covering the medical expenses of cancer treatment at an affordable cost so that the patients can ensure sound and complete treatment. The holders of Jubliee’s Cancer Protection Plan are also entitled to free online oncology consultation 24/7.

On the occasion, Jubilee Life Insurance’s Group Head of Retail Operations, Administration, and Marketing; Mr. Farhan Akhtar Afridi added, “Cancer is a critical illness that one wishes to never have. It not only causes emotional trauma and strains the entire family but creates a potential for financial crisis as well.”

Discussion around the topic of breast cancer is important as it ensures early diagnosis and treatment of cancer which increases the chances of successful treatment. To demonstrate the importance of breast cancer awareness, the First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Arif Alvi said,

“I am grateful that for the past four years, there has been a significant discussion in Pakistan on the topic of breast cancer. However, the current prevalence of the disease which is about 1 in every 8 women in Pakistan necessitates more dialogue. It has been mentioned again and again that early diagnosis can ensure better success rates of the treatment. I appreciate Sehat Kahani for launching a cancer protection program in collaboration with Jubilee Life insurance company to ease the financial burden of cancer patients. I also applaud the idea of Breast Cancer Patient Support Programs and will continue to support such initiatives”

The event honored breast cancer survivors highlighting their struggles. Ms. Amna Salman Butt, a breast cancer survivor, and a motivational speaker added to the discussion:

“We think we have won the battle, but to be honest, it is an everyday struggle. It is extremely important to talk about the mental health burden that patients face and to have a support network for continuous encouragement and motivation for patients going through this tough battle. I am impressed and thankful for the work Sehat Kahani is doing to create awareness about breast cancer.”

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan is now home to the world’s largest population of patients living with Hepatitis C, surpassing even China and India. Despite a government commitment to eliminating hepatitis by 2030,  the prevalence of Hepatitis C has steadily increased, to the point that there are now nearly 10 Million Pakistanis today living with viremic hepatitis C, who need to be diagnosed and treated. In 2020 alone, over 461,000 new cases of Hepatitis C were added to the pool, a higher incidence of new cases than any other country. These statistics were revealed by leading epidemiologist Dr. Homie Razavi from the Center for Disease Analaysis (CDA) in the United States. Dr. Razavi runs the Polaris Observatory, the world’s largest database on viral hepatitis.

Experts at the 16^th annual conference of the Pakistan Society for the Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD) in Karachi included Prof. Amna Subhan, Prof. Saeed Hamid from Aga Khan University Hospital, Prof. Wasim Jafri from South City Hospital, and Prof. Zaigham Abbas from Ziauddin University Hospital. Speakers highlighted the damage caused by the unchecked spread of Hepatitis C, as a result of which liver cancer is now the fastest growing cancer in in the country.

Speakers urged the federal and provincial governments to scale up their programs to eliminate Hepatitis C, to meet WHO Elimination goals, which would save over 150,000 lives and prevent over 100,000 new cases of liver cancer between now and 2030.

Over 15 million people suffer from Hepatitis B and C in Pakistan, making hepatitis the biggest killer among communicable diseases. Hepatitis B and C are both blood-borne diseases that are spread through unsafe injections, unsanitary practices at hospitals, dental clinics and tattoo parlours, among other causes.  Experts also urged the vaccination of women of child-bearing age for Hepatitis E. Unprecedented floods have exacerbated the spread of Hepatitis E, exposing over 75,000 expecting mothers to the risk of this potentially fatal virus. 

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)

Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, in collaboration with Common Management Unit for AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNAIDS, WHO, UNDP UNICEF, UNFPA, UNODC, APLHIV commemorated World AIDS Day 2022. This year theme of the World AIDS Day is “Equalize”, this slogan is a call to action to increase availability, quality of services for HIV treatment, testing and prevention. Equalize calls for communities to make use of and adapt the message to highlight the particular inequalities they face and to press for the actions needed to address them.  
During the event, World AIDS Day Report 2022 was launched by Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Honorable Federal Minister, and said that “Government of Pakistan, at both the national and provincial levels, despite competing priorities and fiscal limitations, and with the support of partners like UNAIDS, UNDP, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and other stakeholders has strived to provide HIV prevention and treatment services through high impact community-based HIV prevention programme.  We are going to revise national and provincial AIDS Strategies, setting the plan of action in the light of global guidance”.

“There is a need to initiate national prevention revolution, that includes all available options to stop the transmission of HIV including protection commodities, immediate initiation of antiretroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxis. Specific populations and locations require additional tools such as harm reduction (needle–syringe and opioid substitution therapy programmes) for people who inject drugs.” says Mr. Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Mashhood Ahmad, Special Secretary Health, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

Mr. Mustafa Jamal Kazi, Federal Joint Secretary & National Coordination for Coordination Management Unit, AIDS, TB and Malaria, while presenting the HIV response in the country highlighted “that Government of Pakistan has allocated PKR 2,000 million to tackle AIDS, TB and Malaria and this shows the commitment to prevent lives from HIV infections, while significantly strengthening health systems to deliver people-centered services to those most in need.

This year, Government of Pakistan reaffirms it support to overcome challenges pertaining to strengthening of HIV response, but also on the road ahead to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Ms. Yuki Takemoto, UNAIDS Country Director took an opportunity to thank Federal Minister, Federal Secretary and Joint Secretary stating that “The Global AIDS Strategy, 2021–2026 provides a clear, evidence-informed blueprint for getting the AIDS response on track. No miraculous silver bullet is needed, using the tools already at its disposal, the Government of Pakistan, together with communities and partners simply needs to translate its commitments into concrete results for people. And this can only happen when people living with HIV and key populations are provided with a platform to amplify their voices. UNAIDS supports Government of Pakistan to translate its political commitment in strengthening HIV response in the country.  

Ms. Aliona Niculita, Deputy Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan, emphasized the agency’s commitment to address economic, social, cultural and legal inequalities to contribute towards ending the AIDS epidemic in collaboratively working towards build resilient health systems to enable equitable and efficient access to services embedded with utmost dignity and respect for communities.

H.E. Ambassador Henrik Persson, Swedish Ambassador to the Pakistan extended his full support. He said as an ambassador I want to reiterate that the time to act is now, let’s spell a new beginning to reflect on our gains and failures of yesterday to seize the countless possibilities of tomorrow for making Pakistan HIV free.

While addressing to the audience Dr. Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative quoted that HIV/AIDS has to be integrated in high-quality sexual and reproductive health at all levels of health care facilities to eliminate stigma and make timely interventions.
Mr. Asghar Satti, Representative of People Living with HIV (APLHIV) said that with the support and whole hearted efforts of educating and informing the citizens against the myriad dangers posed by the HIV/AIDS rooted in ignorance we will meet success.

The Government takes the opportunity to thanks all the partners and stakeholders for their continuous support to strengthen the HIV response in the country and calls upon them to play their roles. He also appreciated the support of Islamabad Traffic Police and Boys Scout Association for their support. Mr. Mustafa Jamal Kazi Joint Secretary/National coordinator, MNHSR&C/CMU for AIDS, TB and Malaria, said in his closing Remarks.

In the end exhibition of artifacts and handicrafts were displayed by people living with HIV, jail inmates and marginalized women and girls. Economic empowerment initiatives have become an increasingly popular approach for the prevention and mitigation of HIV.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) For the first time in Pakistan, White Ribbon, which is part of global men’s movement present in over 50 countries for ending violence against women and girls, has announced the launch of White Ribbon Workplace Gender Inclusion Awards for corporate sector in Pakistan.

Talking to the media Founder and President of White Ribbon Mr. Omer Aftab said that these awards will be presented annually to companies which use their position to advocate for gender equality and take steps to advance women’s empowerment.These awards are being launchedon November 25, theWhite Ribbon Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women.

Mr. Aftab further added that White Ribbon Awards will be presented annually to the companies which advocate for gender equality and take steps to advance women’s empowerment at workplace. The awardswill celebrate and acknowledge the best practices and policies of corporates that take part and highlight gender justice and gender inclusion for their workforce, customers, community and through their CSR and brand communication and advertisements.

All organisations that work on gender equality and have shown a positive impact regarding women empowerment at workplace are eligible to apply for these awards. There are three categories of White Ribbon Awards: Gender Inclusive Workplace, Gender Responsive Marketplace and Community Engagement and Partnerships. For all categories, survey forms will have to be submitted online. Finalists will be selected based on independent ranking system.

• Iron Deficiency Day unites a strong international coalition dedicated to raising international awareness on the serious health impact of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.
• Patient access to diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency directly affected by COVID-19 pandemic.
• This year, spotlight is on raising awareness on symptoms and importance of early diagnosis.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Matrix Pharma took a lead today, in view of ‘World Iron Deficiency Day’, for the advocacy and awareness on ‘Iron Deficiency in Pakistan’ with the aim to educate people about the importance of iron for the body and what can happen if iron levels are not properly managed. In a press conference, it was elaborated that Iron Deficiency Day 2022 encourages people at risk to listen to their body, to take iron seriously and to take control of their health by seeking early diagnosis and medical help from their physician.

Dr. Atia Tariq, Product Manager lead the proceedings and explained that Anemia is a major health problem globally as well as for Pakistan affecting 41.7% WRA (Women of reproductive age) and 53.1% of children. Anemia free Pakistan is a mission to eradicate anemia, for a healthier nation and better lifestyle for our mothers, sisters, wives and people around us.

“At Matrix Pharma we strive to help people live a healthier life. Keeping this objective in the mind we aimed to spread awareness regarding anemia, a public health concern that is extremely wide spread yet something often doesn’t get the requisite attention”, she added.

“Early management is the only key to further spread the worldwide concerning condition and Hb test is the first step towards anemia free Pakistan because Hb in the blood test should be more than 12. We have executed more than 4,000 Hb tests in Pakistan to establish the initial step towards anemia free Pakistan”, she further elaborated.

Renowned consultants also attended the press conference and briefed the media that Iron Deficiency affects about half of the patients with chronic kidney disease and chronic heart failure and is associated with reduced quality of life, an increased risk of hospitalization and cardiovascular death. Despite the serious consequences and high prevalence, of iron deficiency, the condition remains under-recognized.

Associate Professor Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Dr. Amna Najeeb; Consultant Gynecologist Dr. Gulshan Talpur; Consultant Gynecologist Dr. Nasra Asghar and Consultant Gynecologist Dr. Nishat Fatima expressed their thoughts and shared useful information.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Ordercall, one of Pakistan’s fastest-growing B2B startups, has signed an MoU with medIQ smart healthcare, Pakistan’s first integrated virtual-care platform, to provide healthcare solutions to Pakistan’s retailers.

Through this partnership, Ordercall customers will have access to virtual care services, including comprehensive Out-Patient Department (OPD) coverage, as well as Health and Life Insurance cash benefits upon achieving strategic targets on the Ordercall App. Retailers will utilize these healthcare packages to secure their families against expensive medical bills and run business operations with complete peace of mind.

A signing ceremony was held to mark the occasion, where Syed Atif Hassan, CEO, Ordercall said: “This partnership is a first in the B2B e-commerce segment and a significant step forward in Ordercall’s mission. We look forward to creating a meaningful impact in retailers’ lives with medIQ and fulfilling their evolving needs for protection and affordable healthcare, all while enriching the nation’s socio-economic performance and progress.”

Sharing her thoughts on this collaboration, Dr. Saira Siddiqui, CEO & Founder of medIQ, commented, “Ordercall is availing flexible payment solutions for health and insurance plans through medIQ, to ensure that the merchants don’t have to deal with unexpected healthcare expenses. We are excited to collaborate with Ordercall for the health and well-being of merchants, creating value for their retailer community. Furthermore, this alliance with Ordercall is in line with our mission to make quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all.”

This strategic venture is in line with Ordercall’s mission to empower Pakistan’s retailers and build a complete B2B retail ecosystem. Ordercall is redefining conventional retail trade by creating synergies with like-minded startups and providing cutting-edge solutions to local store owners.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Leading Change: Heroines of Health 2022 – An acknowledgement by Women In Global Health awarded to Sehat Kahani’s co-founders Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga.

Sehat Kahani is proud to announce that its CEO and COO Dr. Sara and Dr. Iffat are now among the 17 Heroines of Health 2022 awarded by Women In Global Health.

This year’s event was hosted on the sidelines of the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, on October 17th 2022, aiming to highlight the traditionally unrecognized women in the healthcare systems worldwide. There is a significant share of women in the healthcare system globally however, they still stay deprived of leading and decision-making roles.

This event, being organized under the title of “Leading Change: Heroines of Health,” provided a platform for the women of the healthcare system to create a discussion on the vulnerabilities in the health system and assisted them in highlighting their work for a better change.

Women in Global Health campaigns for equal representation for women in health leadership; equitable pay and ending unpaid work for women health workers; and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment.

At the gala, Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos spoke to the guests. About the event, Dr. Roopa Dhatt, executive director and co-founder of Women in Global Health added, “Women health and care workers have been characterized as heroines for remaining on the frontlines of  the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has illuminated the gender inequities in the health workforce that are causing the “Great Resignation in Health”. These inequities are placing women workers at a disadvantage undermining health systems and global health security”.

Dr. Sara and Dr. Iffat were nominated by Grand Challenges Canada and entitled among the Heroines of Health 2022 for their efforts to overcome the 40% attrition among women doctors after marriage. They founded a telemedicine organization called Sehat Kahani in Pakistan. With around 1.3+ million online consultations already conducted, Sehat Kahani is a female lead organization that aims to get 50,000 doctors onboard in the next 5 years.

On getting this prestigious award,Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga expressed with zeal and gratitude

“This award is not just for us, but a ray of hope for many women who doubt their qualities just based on their gender. I am proud and humbled to get this award. This will definitely drive me to do even better for the innovation of the healthcare industry.I sincerely thank both Grand Challenges Canada and the Women in Global Health to have recognized our work in the area of Digital Health for a wide array of populations especially the ones most deprived.”

Dr. Sara Saeed added,

“This isn’t just a recognition for us but for all female doctors, nurses, micro-entrepreneurs and patients that we have empowered via the platform of Sehat Kahani over the years. This recognition will motivate us to continue our struggle for quality, accessible and equitable health care for all but specifically for the women of our country while creating flexible employment opportunities for many current and future female doctors of Pakistan!

About Sehat Kahani: Sehat Kahani, founded by Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, is a telemedicine platform that strives to connect online doctors to patients using chat, audio, and video consultation at affordable rates. Sehat Kahani has been committed to providing quality and affordable healthcare to the people of Pakistan, especially to those who lack sound access to it in rural areas.

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