Indus Vitals

KU event calls for responsible drug use; VC announces exchange, incubation centre IV Report KARACHI: Pharmaceutical companies are not investing sufficiently in antimicrobial therapies due to concerns over limited effectiveness span and commercial profitability, a trend that could push the world into a dangerous era of antimicrobial resistance. This was warned by Dean Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Karachi, Prof Dr Muhammad Haris Shoaib at an event organised by Karachi University Pharmacy Science Club (KUPScC) in connection with World Pharmacists Day on Thursday. Prof Haris Shoaib said microbes develop resistance against drugs over time, reducing their effectiveness, which has become a major reason for lack of investment. He noted that industry trends are now shifting towards biologics, biosimilars, vaccines and modern therapeutic approaches like Semaglutide. He stressed that effective and responsible use of antimicrobial medicines must remain a...

Speakers urge youth to see uncertainty as opening for growth, not control IV Report KARACHI: The MediaVerse platform at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, organised Verse '26 at the Prof Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Auditorium on Tuesday under the theme "Balance amid Chaos", bringing together voices from media, politics and arts to debate how to navigate uncertainty. Former finance minister Asad Umar, a key speaker, urged youth to reframe chaos as opportunity rather than a problem to be controlled. "For youngsters, chaos should be perceived as an opportunity, not to control," he observed, noting that people today carry a distinct online identity which brings chaos within. The discussion was centred on digital overload, mental balance and positive content as a coping mechanism. KU Dean Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof Dr Muhammad Haris Shoaib said the overflow of information and graphic content on digital media has...

KU seminar highlights farmers’ role and sustainable food systems as PMA calls for nutritional assistance and mental health support for distressed families IV Report KARACHI: Food security requires sustainable food systems, modern research and farmers’ participation, alongside measures to protect vulnerable households from hunger, malnutrition and economic distress, speakers at a University of Karachi seminar and the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) have emphasised. The seminar, held on Thursday to mark World Food Day 2026, highlighted the need to combine local knowledge with scientific innovation, while the PMA, in a statement issued on Friday, warned that persistent inflation, food insecurity and financial hardship were aggravating public health and mental health concerns. Organised by KU’s Department of Food Science and Technology at its Master Conference Hall, the seminar was titled “World Food Day 2026: Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow”. FAO Pakistan Programme Coordina...

The final challenge is to close the silence around undiagnosed HIV and use the next four years to shift from counting infections to preventing them. Prof Dr Muhammad Rafiq Khanani A nd there is a particularly large silence to break: the silence surrounding those who have HIV but do not know it. The source describes the undiagnosed population as perhaps the most alarming feature of Pakistan’s epidemic. National programme reviews have repeatedly shown a substantial gap between the number of people estimated to be living with HIV and those who know their status. The answer is not indiscriminate testing of millions of people with little likelihood of exposure. It is more intelligent case finding through community testing, self-testing, partner and index testing, antenatal services and testing linked with TB, sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis, prisons and other relevant services.   The 2030 choice The urgency becomes clearer when the country’s trajectory is considered. ...

Conference organisers announce cholesterol awareness app in Urdu, Sindhi and English IV Report KARACHI: Health experts have expressed concern over the rising incidence of heart disease among younger people in Pakistan, linking the trend to abnormal blood lipid levels, unhealthy dietary habits and inadequate awareness of cholesterol screening. Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday, on the sidelines of the first Lipid Society of Pakistan Conference, the experts stressed the need for early identification of cardiovascular risk factors, regular screening and lifestyle changes to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Professor Muhammad Nawaz Lashari, secretary general of the Lipid Society of Pakistan and a professor at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), said excessive blood lipid levels were a major contributor to the growing burden of cardiovascular disease. A post-conference press release cited “research” suggesting that 95 per cent of Pak...

Experts link cybercrime to erosion of values, call for legislation with implementation; NCCIA official says data access remains key challenge IV Report KARACHI: An interactive seminar at the University of Karachi on Friday called for stronger laws, their strict implementation, and collective responsibility to check rising cases of online harassment, blackmail and character assassination. The seminar on 'National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA): Challenges, Counter-Strategies, and Freedom of Speech' was organised by the Department of Criminology at the Chinese Teachers' Memorial Auditorium. Newly appointed KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Wasim Qazi said crime cannot be confined to violation of law alone, as deviation from social values, denial of equal opportunities and lack of moral training are also grave social problems. For a civilised society, he said, respect for humanity, mutual acceptance and effective legislation with implementation are essential. He s...