Pakistan

Delay in mosquito nets’ import from India risks health of flood affectees

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Govt decides to import 62,00,000 mosquito nets from India.
Ministry awaits NOC from cabinet division for said import.
Around 41,000 malaria cases surface from flood relief camps.

ISLAMABAD: The purchase of mosquito nets from India has gotten difficult, officials said, as the National Ministry Of Health requires a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Cabinet Division.

Officials said that the delay in getting the NOC has increased apprehension as it was decided that the 6.2 million nets imported from India were meant to be sent to the flood-affected areas in Sindh and Punjab.

Authorities have shared that purchase of the mosquito nets from India will be done through the Global Fund, while the Ministry of Commerce has already issued the NOC.

As per the authorities, it will take around six to eight months to import mosquito nets from any country other than India, while local manufacturers can also produce good quality nets.

Meanwhile, the delay in the provision of mosquito nets has put the lives and well-being of people — particularly of those among Sindh’s flood-affected population — in jeopardy as over 300,000 people have suffered from malaria in the province this year, while 50 people have lost their lives.

According to the provincial health department, more than 364,000 people have fallen victim to the disease in Karachi from January till date which includes women, children, and the elderly affected.

Around 41,000 cases surfaced from relief camps for flood affectees, as per the health department. In 2022, malaria tests of over 2,534,000 were done across the province among which the most number of cases — approximately 51,341 — surfaced from Thatta, while 50,205 cases were reported in Larkana.

At least 8,752 malaria cases from all of Karachi’s districts were reported in 2022, while the least number of cases — around 2,052 — were registered in Sanghar.

Meanwhile, there is a clear difference between the number of deaths due to malaria in Karachi reported by the health department and those by the director of general health.

According to the provincial health department’s report, 23 have died due to malaria in Sindh, while the DG health reported 30 deaths in district Dadu alone. On the other hand, an increase in cases of malaria and dengue is expected in the province due to the winter season.

Last month, a report published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) stated that as many as eight million people in flood-hit areas need medical assistance as diseases continue to spread unabated.

The UN agency’s 100-day report mentioned that about 13.5 million people are in need of protection services while the floods have impacted the education of 3.5 million children.

Latest News

Rainfall throughout the night stops flights in Lahore.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Allama Iqbal International Airport experienced many hours of flight disruption due to the intense rainfall and windstorms that occurred overnight in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.

Aviation sources claim that because of the monsoon weather, the flight operation was unable to operate between 3 and 4 am.

It is possible that the planes will arrive at the airport at 4 am.

Amidst delays in foreign airline flights, three aircraft made landings in Multan and Peshawar.

Riyadh flights arrived in Peshawar Airport, while flights scheduled to land in Lahore in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain ended up landing in Multan Airport.

Seven hours later than scheduled, the Qatar Airways flight from Doha arrived in Lahore.

Because of the bad weather, there are delays in the arrival and departure of numerous international planes.

Latest News

Changes to Pakistan’s Test team could be significant for the Bangladesh series.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Major changes to Pakistan’s team are anticipated ahead of the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh, sources in Lahore have revealed.

As the team gets ready for the series, meetings with the players are planned for next week.

It is predicted that the Test squad would undergo several changes. The team’s lineup is expected to be strengthened by the likely inclusion of Muhammad Huraira. Key players like Faheem Ashraf, Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, and Nauman Ali, whose contributions are vital to the team’s success, struggle to get a spot on the squad.

Furthermore, according to sources, Imamul Haq or Sahibzada Farhan are anticipated to be added to the team, subject to additional assessment. Furthermore, following a fitness assessment, Amir Jamal and Hasan Ali’s futures will be determined.

The ultimate selection for the Test team will take place following Red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie’s return to Pakistan. The ultimate squad that will play Bangladesh in the forthcoming Test series will be greatly influenced by his assessments and thoughts.

Pakistan is scheduled to visit New Zealand in March and April of 2025, according to the country’s official cricket schedule, which was released earlier this month.

Throughout their visit, the Pakistan cricket team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in an exciting series.

The T20I series, which starts at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16, will serve as the tour’s opening event.

Latest News

PM Meets With KP Lawmakers: Promises Progression and Relief Efforts in Province

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhawa lawmakers are given assurances by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the province’s development, namely in the amalgamated districts, with a particular emphasis on the provision of standard health and educational facilities.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa National and Provincial Assembly members paid a visit to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at PM House.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister stated that the PML-N Government has always given priority to the development of the combined districts.

The prime minister promised that the combined Districts would have standard health and educational facilities, and that Danish Schools would be established nearby to offer local pupils an education of the highest caliber possible.

The PM also underlined the importance of promoting solar energy, combating electricity theft, and helping the middle class and impoverished.

He said that in order to boost the agriculture sector’s growth, expand the amount of land under cultivation, and reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign fuel imports, the government was converting agricultural tubewells to solar energy nationwide.

According to PM Shehbaz Sharif, the government recently provided significant reduction from electricity rates for those with low and moderate incomes.

At the event, he also announced the creation of a committee headed by the deputy prime minister, whose goal will be to identify long-term solutions to the issues facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s elected officials.

He argued that in order to preserve the nation from going into default, the current government had to make difficult political choices in order to revitalize the economy.

The parliamentarians gave Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif high marks for his visionary leadership in transforming Pakistan’s economy.