Earlier last week, the Director General of WHO announced the establishment of the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity to strengthen the scientific evidence base for action, to engage all stakeholders and to create awareness and build momentum for action to address this issue. The Director General of WHO has asked that I co-Chair the […]
Ali Hasan, a victim of hit-and-run accident
Eight year-old Ali Hassan was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. Coming from a dysfunctional family, he also suffered parental neglect following abandonment by his father, and family violence. His mother had sent him, along with his older sister, to work as domestic workers. His tasks included dish-washing and cleaning of the car. Their wages […]
First day of life
Pakistan has the highest number of children that die during child birth or on the first day of life. Unfortunately, it is the top country in the world that’s been unable to meet security requirements for newborn babies, yet there is no official notice of this. According to the latest Save the Children report “Ending […]
Ending Newborn Deaths Report launched by Save the Children Pakistan Office
It is until just 28 days after birth that a baby is called a newborn and this is the most vulnerable period of a baby’s life. The recently launched global report of Save the Children “Ending Newborn Deaths: Ensuring Every Baby Survives” quotes some heartbreaking facts and figures about newborn survival worldwide as well as […]
Heartfile Health Financing story of Anayat
According to the UNFPA, every day 20,000 girls under the age of 18 give birth in developing countries. There are in effect 20,000 dire untold stories of gender inequity, malnutrition, survival and even abuse. Anayat’s is one such story of survival, selflessness and cultural pressure. It is the story of needless suffering of a woman, […]
Pakistan’s digital present
A Dubai-based bank announced a job opening for South Asian applicants, where the copious number of Pakistani applications exceeded expectations, while the number of Indian applicants was… well, it did not exist. There was not a single Indian that wanted to work at that ‘bling-bling’ Dubai job. Why? Because the Indian youth does not need […]
WHO’s World Malaria Report, 2013: Global progress and call for sustained commitment
A colossal population of approximately 3.3 billion people, nearly half of size of world population, is at risk of malaria is a clear indication of a silent emergency. The recent World Malaria Report, 2013, released by the World Health Organization shows how far we have come in our fight against malaria and it shows that […]
Building a sustainable post-2015 agenda with vaccines
I am delighted to participate to the European Development Days (EDD), Europe’s premier forum on international affairs and development cooperation organised by the European Commission. It is a landmark event in the development calendar and an important opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with European development practitioners and partners worldwide. It is also a major […]
Pakistan’s Population: New Realities and Challenges for Human Development
Pakistan is currently the 6th most populous country in the world and is on the verge of becoming the 5th most populous. In terms of demography, it is a ‘young country’, where 50% of its population is below the age of 20, which means that there are 235 million people in the working age group. […]
Lives on the Line: An Agenda for Ending Preventable Deaths
The launch of Annual EVERY ONE Campaign report “Lives on the Line” on 23rd October, 2013; is meant to invigorate the MDGs commitment and advocate for a final global impetus towards the unfinished business. Save the Children started its most endeavoring global campaign, EVERY ONE in 2009, to contribute towards the concerted efforts being done […]