Achieving the Health Millennium Development Goals is an increasingly daunting task, as the 2015 deadline creeps ever closer at a time of an overwhelming strain on the global economy. Whilst significant progress has been made, numerous developing countries continue to lag behind with regard to safeguarding the health of women and children. This is the […]
Not-so-neglected tropical diseases – the First Annual Report on the Declaration on NTDs
At least one seventh of the world’s population, living in 149 countries and territories, are affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), including roughly 800 million children. In Pakistan, the 2010 and 2011 outbreaks of Dengue – declared by WHO in January 2013 as the world’s ‘fastest-spreading NTD’ – were a stark illustration of the challenges […]
The ‘impatient optimist’: Bill Gates strengthens his commitment to the eradication of polio
On 29 January, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered the prestigious Richard Dimbleby lecture, and chose polio eradication as the subject of his address. Capitalising on his unique position as a leading voice in global health, Mr Gates outlined a comprehensive six-year plan to eradicate the disease, which he described as “the subject about which I […]
Situation of children in Pakistan is dire, claims UNICEF Report
Last week the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) published their report; Humanitarian Action for Children 2013, which identifies the challenges children and women face in humanitarian situations around the world. It highlights the support required to help families and communities to survive and thrive, and presents the results that UNICEF, together with their partners, have […]
Universal health coverage and the post-2015 development agenda
Jeanette Vega, The Rockefeller Foundation’s Managing Director of Health, argued in an article last week for the inclusion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the development agenda, in order to enable health goals to be framed from a system perspective. The article, entitled ‘Universal health coverage: the post-2015 development agenda,’ was published in The Lancet. WHO […]
WEF 2013 aims for sustainable action on global health issues
Health was the cornerstone of the 43rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting– which concluded yesterday. Global health and health systems featured prominently with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, key health ministers, and over 25 leaders from the healthcare industry in attendance, including our Founder and President, Dr Sania Nishtar. Founded in 1971, The World […]
Universal health coverage milestones during 2012
The global movement towards universal health coverage (UHC) inspired a series of landmark events across the world during 2012. The objective of UHC is to ensure that people are able to access high-quality services without risking financial ruin resulting from catastrophic spending on health. The Pakistan situation with regard to UHC needs to be viewed […]
End of extreme poverty now in sight, says Save the Children report
A new report unveiled by Save the Children has come up with a strategic plan aimed at ending extreme poverty worldwide by 2030. Titled ‘Ending Poverty in Our Generation,’the document presents a development plan succeeding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The organization has also urged the high-level panel, which has been appointed by the UN Secretary […]
Protocol to eliminate illicit tobacco trade opens for signature
The Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products opened for signature at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on January 10, 2013. The objective of the treaty is to eradicate illegal trade in tobacco products by interrupting the international supply chain through a global tracking and tracing system. According to information available in the public domain, illicit […]
Measles Outbreak in Sindh
As many as 210 children have tragically lost their lives to a measles outbreak in Sindh during 2012, with no signs of a let up in sight. The outbreak is not an overnight phenomenon. An upward trend in measles cases was noticed in the in the southern districts of the province including Karachi city in […]