When Pakistan’s new government is sworn in on Wednesday it has a historic opportunity. The new administration under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif could be the government to eradicate polio from Pakistan, one of three countries where the crippling disease remains endemic. But they must overcome critical challenges to succeed. From providing security to health […]
World No Tobacco Day, “Ban all forms of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion & Sponsorship (TAPS)”
Analysis of the collected data from the Report “Monitoring of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion & Sponsorship (TAPS) and Point of Sale Advertising” reveals that Point of Sale (POS) advertisement is observed at 78% of the tobacco retail places, 77% POS are using “Power walls and Fascia” for tobacco advertising, beneficiary schemes for retailers observed at 32% of monitored POS . Further, […]
The Role of Academia in Socio-Economic Development
In most indigenous cultures and countries, a working system that inspires socio-economic development is an opportunity. Socio-economic development is termed as a system that creates sustainable access to the economy for its beneficiaries, in other words, “it teaches people to fish rather than giving them a fish”. Therefore the core element of ‘sustainable’ socio-economic development […]
Devolution and Health
The devolution of Health and all other social sectors from the federal to provincial tiers materialized on the 1st July 2011. It is common knowledge that the move was undertaken without the adequate necessary groundwork or preparation at either level. The former Ministry of Health was itself in a complete state of denial even shortly […]
Mega misnomers
Pakistan’s national and human security challenges have never been so pervasive. A war along the northern borders and relentless insurgency threatens the writ of the state, pitting law-enforcement agencies against people. Vested-interest groups exploit and deepen existing polarisation on ethnic, sectarian, political and religious fronts, resulting in carnage. These problems have created unprecedented pressures on […]
Devolution in Pakistan
The devolution debate in Pakistan has raised a variety of important issues for the health system. There appears to be a clear consensus in Pakistan that devolution to the provinces is an important advance but it has created several problems that suggest the need for some central agency to address national health issues. There are […]
14th August: great trepidations
Great trepidations shadow Independence Day. With the country’s increasing isolation in the arena of international politics, poor state performance, and a polarized society, Pakistan survives today primarily on the resilience of its people. This is a time to reflect on where we stand in the broader global context and appreciate the nature of the imperative. […]
