Pakistan

Pakistan among countries with rising malaria, tuberculosis infections

Published

2 years 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

SCO Summit Preparations: Interior Minister Examines SCO Summit Arrangements

Published

20 hours ago

Farwa

The preparations for the Shanghai Corporation Organization Summit, which will take place in Islamabad next week, were reviewed by Federal Minister of the Interior Mohsin Naqvi during his tour of the Federal Capital.

D-Chowk, Constitution Avenue, Murree Road, and the Islamabad Expressway were all thoroughly inspected by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The Minister gave the authorities instructions regarding the optimal setup for the next summit after reviewing the refurbishment and cleaning plans for the SCO Summit.

The minister stated that while ensuring that all of Islamabad is clean, particularly the VVIP routes and the red area, the construction and restoration projects should be finished as quickly as feasible.

Mohsin Naqvi stated that the SCO Summit will showcase Islamabad’s natural beauty on this particular occasion.

Latest News

Elahi Bakhsh Soomro Dies; Karachi Will Hold Funeral Prayer Today

Published

20 hours ago

Farwa

After a lengthy illness, Elahi Bakhsh Soomro, the former Speaker of the National Assembly, passed away. At ninety-eight years old.

Today at 1:00 PM in Karachi, there will be a funeral prayer for him.

In the Jacobabad District of Sindh, Soomro was born in 1926. He was a member of the Shikarpur-based Soomro family, who for a long time dominated Sindh. He was the brother of Ahmad Mian Soomro and the son of Maula Bakhsh Soomro. His degree is in engineering.

The federal minister is now Elahi Bakhsh Soomro. In 1985, he was elected without opposition to the national legislature.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Pakistan Muslim League in the 1990 and 1997 elections. Additionally, he was repeatedly elected to the Senate at various points in time.

Latest News

SIFC Supports Shanxi Coal Initiative: China to Finance Coal-to-Chemicals Project in Pakistan

Published

20 hours ago

Farwa

The Shanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group of China intends to invest in technologies for the production of chemicals derived from coal reserves in Sindh, Pakistan. This project, supported by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), seeks to improve collaboration between Pakistan and China in energy and industrial advancement.

Shanxi Coal and Chemical, one of China’s major state-owned firms, has made substantial investments in the coal and energy sectors. This project illustrates the increasing cooperation between the two nations.

Pakistan aims to fulfill its energy requirements by augmenting coal-fired production, thereby lowering electricity generation expenses. Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik stated that “Pakistan possesses extensive coal reserves, and this initiative demonstrates our dedication to the effective utilization of our natural resources.”

Pakistan now extracts roughly 7.6 million tons of coal annually from the Thar region, with intentions to augment this to 11 million tons within three years. The efficient utilization of these resources can stabilize the nation’s economy.