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Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
13 prefabricated vaccination centres built in underserved areas
ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organisation (WHO), in partnership with the Government of Pakistan, has built 13 prefabricated vaccination centres and initiated the procurement process to deliver 13 additional facilities in underserved areas across the country. Together, the centres will serve a population of over 750 000 people. The 26 centres – funded by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance – represent the first batch of prefabricated facilities to be built over a 3-year period as part of a plan, led by the Federal Directorate of Immunisation (FDI) and its Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), to progressively expand vaccination and basic health care infrastructure across the country. In addition to providing access to lifesaving vaccines, the centres will offer essential health care services to populations that previously lacked access due to factors such as distance to the nearest public health facility and absence of transportation. The first 13 new centres are already operational in Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The next 13, which are in the procurement phase, will be built in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). By providing land, human resources and funding for operational costs, the government and district health departments have actively contributed to establishing these centres. Of the 26 facilities, 24 will be solar-powered to ensure functionality during power cuts and natural disasters, while also contributing to climate change mitigation. 'Our partnership with WHO is essential to continue strengthening Pakistan's Expanded Programme on Immunisation and reaching the communities most in need. These vaccination centres will bring vaccines and health care services closer to the communities who needed it the most,' said Dr Shabana Saleem, Director General, (Health)/FDI. The facilities have been strategically located in areas with limited access to basic health care services and low vaccination coverage and will address a deficit of immunisation centres that currently affects 20 per cent of health facilities in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. To build healthier societies it is crucial to deliver health for all, reaching the most vulnerable and leaving no one behind. These prefabricated structures provide safer, movable, greener and more resilient health facilities that can help reinforce primary health care and respond to emergencies more effectively, said WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo. 'WHO will continue to support the Government of Pakistan in its efforts to ensure that all children in Pakistan have access to lifesaving vaccines and to build resilient health systems that provide universal health coverage (UHC) for all, no matter who they are or where they live,' he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Climate change driving malaria surge in Pakistan, WHO warns
Islamabad: The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Pakistan's Ministry of National Health Services have sounded the alarm over a sharp rise in malaria cases across the country, linking the surge directly to the impacts of climate change, Dawn reported. With more than two million cases reported annually, officials warned that intensified action is urgently needed to contain the growing threat to Pakistan and the wider region. The warning was issued on the occasion of World Malaria Day, with both WHO and Pakistauthorities calling for a collective push to combat the disease. "Malaria is a major global threat, and we are seeing first-hand how climate change is increasing both the risk and the cases in our country," said Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal. He emphasised that ending malaria is not only a health priority, but also an investment in a safer, healthier, and more equitable future for all nations. Under the international theme "Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite," WHO urged governments, organisations, and communities to step up support for malaria elimination efforts. Pakistan's battle against malaria was severely impacted by the catastrophic 2022 floods, which triggered an additional 6.6 million cases over the 2022-2024 period, reported Dawn. Cases peaked in 2023 at 2.7 million, a steep rise compared to 399,097 reported in 2021. Consequently, WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region saw malaria cases spike to an estimated 10.2 million in 2023, marking a 137 percent increase since 2015. Despite the surge, Pakistan has made notable progress over the past decade in malaria prevention and treatment. Working alongside WHO and with funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the country screened more than 11.4 million suspected cases and treated 2 million confirmed malaria patients in 2024 alone. Pakistan also distributed 7.8 million insecticide-treated nets across 22 high-burden districts, which contributed to a decline in cases from 2.7 million in 2023 to 2 million last year. "WHO is proud to partner with Pakistan to continue saving lives by preventing and treating malaria," said Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Pakistan. However, he warned that climate change is undermining hard-won gains and poses a threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region. "We know how to end malaria, and we can do it if all stakeholders invest and work together to reinforce the response and adapt to the new risks triggered by climate change," he said. Data collected from 5,575 medical facilities across 80 endemic districts reveals a clear upward trend in malaria cases linked to rising temperatures and frequent floods. Other contributing factors include deepening poverty, limited access to quality diagnostics and treatment, security challenges in Balochistan, the tribal areas, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as gaps in healthcare access in parts of Sindh, Dawn reported. While malaria control efforts have proven effective, experts stressed that sustained, coordinated action will be crucial to overcoming the impacts of climate change, protecting lives, and securing a healthier future for Pakistan.
Express Tribune
24-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Climate change worsening malaria
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Pakistan's Ministry of National Health Services on Thursday warned that climate change was worsening the impact of malaria in the country amid over two million cases reported annually. On the occasion of World Malaria Day being observed on 25 April, WHO and Pakistan are calling on all stakeholders to urgently intensify efforts to contain the increasing threat to the country and the Region. "Malaria is a major global threat, and we are seeing firsthand how climate change is increasing both the risk and the cases in our country." Despite challenges, Pakistan is fully committed to end this disease. It is not just a health imperative - it is an investment in a healthier, more equitable, safer, and more prosperous future for every nation," said Pakistan's Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal. Under the international theme "Reinvest, reimagine, reignite," WHO is urging all stakeholders to join the Big Push to End Malaria and support Pakistan to ensure that the response is not jeopardized due to lack of resources. The catastrophic 2022 floods in Pakistan led to 6.6 million additional cases over the three-year period from 2022 to 2024 - including a peak of 2.7 million cases in 2023, compared to 399,097 cases in 2021. As a result, the malaria burden in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region surged with an estimated 10.2 million cases reported in 2023, a 137% increase compared to 2015. Despite challenges, significant progress has been made throughout the last decade in terms of prevention and treatment. In partnership with WHO and with funding support from the Global Fund to defeat HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, Pakistan screened over 11.4 million malaria suspects and provided treatment to 2 million confirmed malaria patients in 2014. In addition, 7.8 million insecticide treated nets were distributed across 22 high-malaria burden districts of the country, helping to reduce the number of cases from 2.7 million in 2023 to 2 million in 2024."WHO is proud to partner with Pakistan to continue saving lives by preventing and treating malaria." "We have proven that investing in malaria response saves lives, but we are also seeing how climate change is hampering progress, posing a threat not only for Pakistan, but also for the Region and the world." "We know how to end malaria, and we can do it if all stakeholders invest and work together to reinforce the response and adapt to the new risks triggered by climate change," said WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo.
