Shifa Int'l Hospital, FDI organize workshop
By preventing HPV infections, the vaccine offers a powerful shield against cervical cancer, safeguarding women's health for the future.
The workshop brought together over 100 healthcare professionals from gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, infectious diseases, and research. Representatives from WHO, UNICEF, GAVI, the Gates Foundation, DHO Islamabad, and the EPI team also participated.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Dr. Soofia Yunus, Director General FDI, stressed the importance of community ownership in immunization campaigns. She thanked Shifa's leadership Dr. Zeeshan Bin Ishtiaque (CEO), Dr. Aamer Nazir (Medical Director), Dr. Shazia Fakhar, Dr. Ejaz Khan, and Dr. Khadeeja Azhar for their collaboration, calling the public-private partnership a strong step toward national health goals.
Dr. Zeeshan Bin Ishtiaque, CEO of Shifa International Hospital, reaffirmed the hospital's commitment to playing a leading role in cervical cancer prevention and public health advocacy. He also appreciated the efforts of Shifa Foundation for serving underprivileged communities across Pakistan.
Dr. Shazia Fakhar, Consultant Gynaecologist at Shifa, and Dr. Ejaz Khan, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Shifa, shared medical insights on the role of the HPV vaccine, emphasizing the collective responsibility to safeguard young girls from preventable diseases like cervical cancer.
Dr. Xia Wei, WHO Team Lead, conveyed support from the WHO Country Office, committing continued technical assistance for HPV vaccine rollout. Dr. Yasmine Challoub, Senior Manager, Immunization, UNICEF Pakistan, reiterated UNICEF's mission to ensure equitable access to vaccines, terming HPV vaccination a right, not a privilege.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
21 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Action being taken against illegal organ trade: Punjab health minister
LAHORE: As per vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the capacity of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority is being increased and strict action is being taken against illegal transplantation of human organs in Punjab. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said this while addressing the 35th meeting of the Monitoring Authority of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority. The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Operations Tariq Mehmood Rahmani, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Muhammad Waseem, Director General PHOTA Professor Muhammad Aamir Zaman Khan, Professor Izhar Chaudhry from the Pakistan Medical Association, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razzaq, officers from the Revenue Department, Home Department and other departments as members. CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz, Dean Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute Professor Faisal Saud Dar and Yasir Khan from the Transplantation Society participated in the meeting through video link. Director General PHOTA Professor Muhammad Aamir Zaman Khan presented various agendas for approval during the meeting. An implementation report of the decisions of the 34th meeting of the Monitoring Authority was also presented during the meeting. During the meeting, approval was also accorded to register various government and private hospitals for kidney, liver and cornea transplantation. The approval was given to renew the registration of Begum Akhtar Rukhsana Memorial Trust Orchard Hospital for liver transplantation, while Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, Independent University Hospital Faisalabad and Madina Teaching Hospital Faisalabad gets nod for corneal transplantation for the next three years. During the meeting, approval was given to renew the registration of City Hospital Multan, PKLI and Research Center Lahore, National Hospital and Medical Center Lahore and Adil Hospital Lahore for renal transplantation for the next three years. The meeting approved the budget estimate of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority for the financial year 2025-26 and the revised budget estimate for the financial year 2024-25. The meeting also accorded approval to organize a 5-day training workshop on the topic of Human Organ and Tissue Transplantation Essentials for PHOTA. During the meeting, approval was given to conduct bone banking and transplantation, pancreas transplantation in Punjab. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Gaza facing man-made ‘mass starvation', says WHO's Tedros
Gaza is suffering man-made mass starvation caused by a blockade on aid into the Palestinian enclave, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. He spoke following an appeal by more than 100 aid agencies warning of hunger in Gaza while tons of food, clean water and medical supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. 'I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it's man-made, and that's very clear,' Tedros told a virtual press conference live-streamed from Geneva. 'This is because of (the) blockade.' Gaza's food stocks have run out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March and then lifted that blockade in May - but with restrictions that it says are needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed is currently reaching people in Gaza. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2 million people. Ten more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 111, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave. The WHO said the deadly surge in malnutrition has caused the deaths of at least 21 children reported to the agency in 2025, but stressed those figures are likely the tip of the iceberg. More than 100 NGOs warn 'mass starvation' spreading across Gaza Centres for treating malnutrition are full without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding, the WHO added, as the hunger crisis has been compounded by the collapse of aid pipelines and restrictions on access. Tedros also said the U.N. and its humanitarian partners were unable to deliver any food for nearly 80 days between March and May, and the resumption of deliveries was still insufficient. The situation is dire, he and other WHO officials said, with around 10% of people screened experiencing either severe or moderate malnutrition, and up to 20% of pregnant women. In July alone, 5,100 children have been admitted to malnutrition programmes, including 800 who were severely emaciated, said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative for the occupied Palestinian territories.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Punjab launches drive to promote local horse breeds
LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch an initiative for conservation of indigenous horse breeds. The Punjab livestock department on Wednesday convened the first meeting of the Technical Working Group constituted in this regard which was chaired by Provincial Minister for Livestock and Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani. The meeting, held at the Livestock Department, was attended by Secretary Livestock Punjab Ahmad Aziz Tarar, Technical Coordinator Irtaza, Vice Chancellor of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Dr Younas, renowned horse breeders, experts from Brooke Pakistan, and senior departmental officials. Minister Kirmani highlighted that, for the first time, the provincial government has prioritized the conservation of indigenous horse breeds. He said that under the Chief Minister's leadership, the livestock department has launched several initiatives for the benefit of livestock farmers, but horse breeds had previously received little attention. 'To change this, we are launching a focused project that includes training veterinary doctors at the tehsil level, ensuring availability of vaccines for diseased horses, and providing ultrasound and diagnostic facilities,' the minister announced. He lamented the absence of a distinct and officially recognized local horse breed in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, and called for coordinated efforts between the government and private sector to address this gap. He further noted the government's commitment to supporting the private sector in areas such as sexed semen, transplantation techniques, and equine nutrition. 'The input of this Technical Working Group will be pivotal in shaping effective strategies,' he added. Secretary Livestock Ahmad Aziz Tarar reaffirmed the department's seriousness in preserving local horse breeds and said that improvements in diagnostic infrastructure are already underway. Participants of the meeting deliberated on proposals to document the characteristics of indigenous breeds, promote quality breeding practices, and showcase these breeds at international forums. Experts emphasized the urgency of compiling a comprehensive record to prevent the extinction of rare horse varieties. The meeting marked the beginning of what officials described as a long-overdue initiative to give local horse breeds the attention and protection they deserve. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
