Non-communicable disease is a collective name for four major diseases, CVD, diabetes, some cancers and chronic lung conditions These 4 diseases, are linked by 4 lifestyle and four biological risks. Diet is one of them This afternoon, I would like to make 4 points about the relevance of NCDs to the global development agenda First, […]
The case for including Family Planning in the post-2015 framework
This issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Tricia Petruney and Colleagues argue why Family Planning needs to be part of the post 2015 goals. They state that “A multitude of stakeholders have since [2010, which is when evidence showed family planning’s connection to all eight MDGs] advocated for family planning to be […]
Reflections from the UN NCD’s review
My visit to the United Nations’ headquarters during the UN review on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on Friday, July 11, as speaker and moderator for two events, respectively, made me go down the memory lane for some reasons. As a young medical intern working in the then named North West Frontier Province of Pakistan (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), I was always […]
Innovative approaches are call of the hour for sustainable development
Today, as I write this article, it shocks me that Pakistan is only left with 1.53 years to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Government of Pakistan has adopted 16 targets and 41 indicators. Time series data is available for only 34 indicators and it reveals that Pakistan is on track to achieve the targets on 11 indicators, […]
Story of Sakina Bibi
Sakina Bibi, an elderly woman aged 78, lived in extreme poverty. She had no source of income and lived an impoverished life with her two disabled adult children – a son and a daughter-in-law, both deaf and dumb – and two grandchildren. She was destitute and lived off the charity of her neighbours and the […]
Faiza – Victim of violence
Faiza, a recent divorcée aged 28 years, was born to a poor family. Face down, she lay motionless on the hospital bed, with both her legs fractured. One leg was plastered while the other, which had sustained multiple fractures, awaited surgery. The surgery was possible only if the financial costs were met. She had no […]
Juma Khan, the refugee
Juma Khan was forced to migrate from North Waziristan to the city of Peshawar, and a few years later, to the outskirts of Islamabad, just to make a living. He was born in Pakistan to refugee parents from Afghanistan, and despite having spent 38 years in Pakistan, was still tagged as a refugee. He was illiterate, had […]
Global Health Pledge
It’s World Health Day today. Year after year, the day serves to draw attention to pressing global health matters. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) soon to expire and discussions on a post-2015 framework underway, this year’s World Health Day comes at a time that might well mark a turning point for global health. At […]
CSOs contribution to universal health coverage into the Post-2015 agenda
Central to the post-2015 development agenda discussions is the goal of achieving universal health coverage as a quest for better health care, a demand for equity and a promise to eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 through sustainable development. Universal health coverage is not a new phenomenon, many countries including Japan and the United Kingdom had achieved […]
IFPRI’s 2013 Global Food Policy Report launch
“Central to post-2015 development agenda discussions is the goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030. Though ambitious and laudable, this goal is not enough. With one in eight people suffering from hunger today, and nearly 2 billion affected by hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies), IFPRI’s 2013 Global Food Policy Report suggests that it is equally important to eliminate […]