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Alarming Increase in Wild Poliovirus Type-1: Joint Review by Federal and Provincial Governments to Strengthen Eradication Efforts
In response to a significant rise in Wild Poliovirus Type-1 (WPV1) cases over the past three months, Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments have united to assess and strengthen efforts to control the outbreak. The Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, led by the Federal Secretary, initiated a high-level review meeting in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), where…
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Critical Shortage of Therapeutic Food Puts Millions of African Children at Risk
Millions of children across Africa are at risk of severe malnutrition due to a growing shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (R.U.T.F.), according to UNICEF. The life-saving product, essential for treating severe acute malnutrition (SAM), is in dangerously short supply in several African nations, raising concerns of a potential humanitarian disaster. UNICEF reported that nearly two…
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Heart Screenings Launched at Cambridge After Student’s Sudden Death
In response to the sudden death of Clarissa Nicholls, a 20-year-old undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, students are now being offered heart screenings to detect potential undiagnosed heart conditions. Clarissa passed away in May 2023 from arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) while hiking in France, a condition that had gone undiagnosed despite previous testing. Clarissa’s friends…
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France Elevates Bird Flu Risk Level Amid Rising Cases in Europe
France has heightened its bird flu risk level to ‘moderate’ from ‘negligible’ as cases of avian influenza surge across Europe, according to a decree published on Tuesday. This increase in risk level will prompt stricter biosecurity measures, particularly around poultry farms, to prevent the virus from spreading. The change in status comes in response to…
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Punjab to Digitize Microplans for Enhanced Polio Vaccination Drive
The Punjab government has announced plans to digitize microplans for its anti-polio campaign, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccination drive. This initiative will use GIS-based maps for monitoring, starting in Lahore and eventually expanding to other districts across the province. This decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid…
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Dr. Kayani Stresses Enhancing Service Delivery in Punjab Hospitals
Advisor Health Punjab, Major General Dr. Azhar Mehmood Kayani (retd), emphasized the critical role of medical teachers and stakeholders in enhancing medical education and improving the quality of healthcare services in hospitals. During a comprehensive review of Lahore General Hospital (LGH) and the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINs), Dr. Kayani underlined the importance of professionalism…
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Surge in Chikungunya and Diphtheria Cases Alarms Health Experts in Sindh
Health experts in Sindh have raised concerns over a significant surge in chikungunya and diphtheria infections this year, urging immediate preventive actions and government interventions to safeguard public health. In 2024 alone, at least 34 people have died due to diphtheria in the province, a highly contagious disease that can lead to severe breathing and…
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Dengue Mismanagement Remains a Critical Issue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Dengue fever remains a growing concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where unauthorized medical practitioners are mistreating patients without proper diagnoses. As the province reported 104 new cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases this year has surged to 2,251, according to health officials. Dr. Nadeem Akhtar, Chief…
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Pakistan Faces Emerging Eye Health Crisis: Urgent Interventions Needed to Combat Vision Loss
Pakistan is on the brink of an eye health crisis, with its population ranking fifth globally. As the population is expected to double by 2050 without proper health interventions, the country is seeing an alarming rise in eye problems, according to the Private Hospital in Pakistan. Major Gen (Retd) Rehmat Khan, while speaking to the…
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Over 100 Children Die from Diphtheria in Karachi Amid Vaccine Shortage
This year, Karachi has faced a tragic rise in diphtheria-related deaths, with over 100 children losing their lives due to the unavailability of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin (DAT). Despite the disease being entirely preventable through vaccination, the shortage of this life-saving treatment has resulted in an alarming increase in diphtheria cases across the city, according to Sindh…