Latest news with #GetzPharma
Business Recorder
30-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Free insulin to 250 children: Getz Pharma, NGO sign MoU
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to provide free insulin to children and young people with Type-1-Diabetes (T1D) Getz Pharma and a local non-profit organization (NGO) namely, Meethi Zindagi have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide free insulin to 250 children across the country for the rest of their lives. The MoU signing ceremony held here on Thursday, attended by senior officials from both organisations, children with T1D, and their parents. The event featured engaging activities such as face painting and storytelling, where children bravely shared their journeys of living with diabetes. Getz Pharma is Pakistan's largest local pharmaceutical firm and the only company producing insulin locally. The MoU outlines that Getz Pharma will supply insulin on a quarterly basis, based on dose requirements provided by Meethi Zindagi. The non-profit will manage the identification of beneficiaries, ensure safe storage and distribution of the insulin, and provide quarterly reports on usage and outcomes. The participants were informed that during past 20 years over 18,000 children and young people have died due to complications of Type 1 Diabetes largely from lack of access to insulin. 'There are around 26,000 children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes in Pakistan, but only about 8,000 receive free insulin,' said Dr Sana Ajmal, founder and executive director of Meethi Zindagi. 'With Getz Pharma's support, we are expanding our reach to 1,550 children—across more than 130 cities from Tharparkar to Dera Bugti—by including 250 more in our program,' she added. Dr Sana, herself a T1D patient, launched Meethi Zindagi in 2017 to help families like hers who struggled to afford insulin. Besides free insulin, the non-profit also provides peer support, medical consultations, and psychological help. 'Insulin is a right, not a privilege,' she emphasised. 'It should be available at the doorstep of every child who needs it.' Dr Wajiha Javed, associate director Public Health at Getz Pharma, said the partnership reflects the company's belief in both quality medicines and sustainable health advocacy. 'It is unacceptable that 18,000 children have died simply because they couldn't access insulin,' she said. 'Our commitment goes beyond supply we will also help create peer support networks, launch awareness campaigns for early diagnosis, and support nutritional programmes.' Highlighting Getz Pharma's unique position as the only local manufacturer of insulin in Pakistan, Dr Wajiha assured that the company would not let geographical barriers hinder its mission. 'This collaboration is a first step. We want to ensure that no child is denied a future simply because they can't afford a vial of insulin.' She maintained that during insulin shortages and crises, Getz Pharma ensured an uninterrupted supply by producing insulin locally and delivering it even to remote areas such as Parachinar. It supported thousands of patients and extended critical assistance to institutions like the Children's Hospital and the National Institute of Child Health when others stepped back. In addition to providing insulin, Getz Pharma is driving a broader, patient-focused effort to transform diabetes care in Pakistan. The company actively invests in research, runs public awareness campaigns, conducts community screenings, and supports early diagnosis initiatives. 'With a separate field force deployed nationwide to educate patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers, we ensure better disease management. This holistic approach reflects Getz Pharma's long-term commitment to addressing the root challenges of diabetes care, far beyond the supply of medicine alone', she added. Beyond insulin access, Getz Pharma empowers children with diabetes through education, nutrition support, and school-based programmes, helping them manage their condition and build healthier, informed futures, she added. As the event closed, there was a sense of hope in the air—a hope that with such powerful partnerships, Pakistan can move closer to a future where no child dies from a disease that is entirely manageable with timely access to insulin. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
14-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
80pc adults have dangerous waistlines, experts warn
KARACHI: With more than 80 percent of Pakistani adults now suffering from excessive waistlines and over 70 percent of men and 80 percent of women classified as obese, health experts have declared obesity a full-blown public health emergency that is silently pushing the nation toward disaster. Experts also revealed that 50 percent of adults are hypertensive, and one in three is diabetic, conditions directly linked to weight gain and inactivity. At a health awareness camp organized by the Karachi Press Club (KPC) in collaboration with Getz Pharma, specialists from Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) warned that obesity is now killing Pakistani men at younger ages, causing infertility in women, and setting children on a path toward chronic disease. Most troubling, they said that the majority of people remain unaware of these risks and continue to lead dangerously inactive lifestyles. 'We are raising a generation that is both obese and malnourished,' said Dr. Asma Ahmed, endocrinologist at AKUH, citing national data that shows 35 percent of women and 28 percent of children in Pakistan are obese. 'Obesity is not a cosmetic issue—it's a chronic disease that leads directly to hypertension, diabetes, infertility, and organ failure,' she warned. She pointed out that excessive screen time, junk food, and irregular routines are among the main reasons for this surge in obesity among children. 'Many people don't even know they are hypertensive, and unchecked blood pressure is silently damaging their kidneys, hearts, and brains,' Dr. Asma added. She urged families to prioritize home-cooked, nutritious meals and reduce their intake of processed and fast food. 'Sleeping late, lack of physical activity, and poor diet are pushing the nation toward a health disaster,' she said. Dr. Nazish Butt, Head of Gastroenterology at JPMC, echoed these concerns, noting that obesity is now a leading cause of diabetes, high cholesterol, strokes, and heart attacks in the country. 'People have simply stopped exercising. In Karachi, we're seeing particularly high obesity rates among women and children due to sedentary habits and increased consumption of frozen and junk foods,' she said, calling for urgent community-level lifestyle reforms. Dr. Wajiha Javed, Public Health Expert at Getz Pharma, shared findings from the Pak Sehat baseline demographic survey—the first mini-Framingham study and bio bank of the South Asian population—which found that over 80 percent of women and 70 percent of men in Pakistan are obese. 'Fifty percent of adults also suffer from hypertension, and one in every three is diabetic,' she said. To address these alarming trends, she announced a three-year national initiative titled PREACH, launched by Getz Pharma, aimed at early detection, disease awareness, and referral pathways through private community health workers. Dr. Wajiha also mentioned the availability of semaglutide and tirzepatide—newer medications now available in Pakistan for patients with a BMI above 30, or above 27 with weight-related conditions like diabetes and hypertension. 'Under our Med One umbrella, we're partnering with healthcare stakeholders to promote screening and public awareness about metabolic disorders,' she added. The screening camp at KPC provided free consultations for journalists and their families, many of whom were tested for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The event was attended by KPC Joint Secretary Muhammad Munsif, Health Committee Secretary Hamid-ur-Rehman, and Getz Pharma representatives including Mikail Soomro, Agha Sadiq, and Head of Public Health Kashif Amin. On the occasion, experts called for national-level public health campaigns, better food education, physical activity in schools and workplaces, and recognition of obesity as a serious chronic disease rather than a mere lifestyle issue. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
