Indus Vitals

IV report KARACHI: The Pakistan Paediatrics Association (PPA) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting breastfeeding, citing its numerous benefits for infants and mothers. At a press conference on January 25, PPA leaders emphasised the need for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, highlighting the alarming 48.4% rate in Pakistan, which falls short of the World Health Assembly's 70% target by 2030. PPA President Prof Mahmood Sadiq stressed that breastfeeding is crucial for saving lives, improving health, and reducing infant mortality rates. He condemned the aggressive marketing of formula milk, emphasising that Sindh laws prohibit the use of the term "formula milk" and instead require companies to label it as "artificial formula." Other speakers, including PPA Secretary General Prof Dr Mohsina Noor Ibrahim, Former PPA President Dr Khalid Shahfi, PPA (Sindh) President Prof Waseem Jamalvi, Dr Hyat Bozdar and Dr Saadullah Chachar echoed Prof Sa...

IV Report KARACHI: Global Hub School and Cadet College in Karachi's Malir district has inaugurated a new block exclusively for girl students, named after Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto. The block, with a capacity for 300 students, was inaugurated by First Lady of Pakistan and MNA Mohtarma Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on January 21. This milestone event marks a significant step in empowering young women through education and leadership opportunities in Pakistan. The educational facility, spread over 240 acres, offers education from Class VI to Intermediate level and is affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad, and the Cambridge Assessment International Education. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Sindh ministers for Health and Education, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Sardar Shah, respectively. CEO of the education system, Lt Cdr (retd) Sohaib Farooq, and Principal Khuzaema Gauhar Siddiqui received the guests. Addressing the gathering...

IV Report KARACHI: Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Karachi, awarded degrees to 505 bachelor's and master's graduates from different programmes, including those belonging to the very first batch of the Doctors of Physiotherapy (DPT) programme of the university, at its sixth convocation held at a city hotel on December 18. This milestone brought the total number of outgoing students since the university's inception to 3,000. Starting with Sindh Medical College, which was upgraded to the status of a university in 2012, JSMU encompasses over a dozen institutions, with an enrolment of about 6,000 students.  The convocation celebrated the accomplishments of graduates of the classes of 2023-24 from MBBS (281 graduates), BDS (53), Pharm D (94), BSN (33), BBA-Hons (4), BBA HCM (3), and BS Public Health (9), MS Public Health (11) and others. JSMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Amjad Siraj Memon, along with Registrar Dr M Azam Khan and senior deans, awarded medals and honors to out...

As 2024 almost draws to a close, it’s time to assess the year’s progress in healthcare and socio-economic development. Despite satisfactory advancements in various health sectors, the country’s inadequate efforts to protect its most vulnerable citizens – children and infants – have overshadowed these achievements. The year has also seen alarming spikes in infectious diseases like polio and HIV, despite ongoing efforts to combat them. Authorities are expected to set new strategies and targets for the upcoming year, particularly in the health sector, where room for improvement remains open. Official reports indicate a disturbing upward trend in polio virus detection since mid-2023. As of December 24, Pakistan reported 65 new paralytic polio (WPV1) cases in the outgoing year, compared to six in 2023, with approximately 500 polio-positive environmental samples in 2024, up from 126 in 2023. New cases have been reported primarily from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (18), Sindh (18), Balochistan (27)...

IV Report  KARACHI: In a significant development, the federal government and the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, signed an agreement to establish a national reference laboratory. The signing ceremony took place on January 6, in the presence of Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research (NFSR), Rana Tanveer Hussain. Under the agreement, the ICCBS will provide testing facilities for pesticide residue and related analyses through its Industrial Analytical Centre (IAC) at the HEJ's research unit. The project is expected to be completed within 36 months, with the federal government providing timely funding. The testing facility can be extended for an additional three years with further federal funding. The agreement was signed by Director General of Plant Protection Waqas Alam and ICCBS Director Prof Dr Farzana Shaheen, in the presence of Minister Hussain, Federal Secretary NFSR Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, Federal...

* Provincial govt’s failure to implement Sindh Students Union Act causing growingfrustration among students; govt officials claim universities responsible for implementing the law, while university administrators say they are waiting for government’s nod By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: Despite litigation in high court and continued concerns being raised in public by various student communities any implementation on the law for launching student unions in universities and colleges in Sindh remains stalled --courtesy the reported dilly-dally approach of the authorities concerned, this has emerged lately. The Sindh government had enacted the Sindh Students Union Act (SSUA) 2019 to revive student unions, banned in 1984, in order to promote democratic values, student participation, and academic excellence across the province with immediate effect. However, the government’s failure to implement the law has led to growing frustration among students. Government officials claim that universities...

IV Report KARACHI: The University of Karachi (KU) kicked off the new year with a grand ceremony, marking 66 years since its relocation to its current campus. The event, held at the Silver Jubilee Gate, brought together faculty members, students, administrative officers, and distinguished guests to celebrate the university's rich history and academic achievements. On January 18, 1960, KU was shifted from the premises on Princess Street (now Chand Bibi Road) to University Road, formerly known as Country Club Road. The then vice-chancellor, Bashir Ahmed Hashmi had invited 30 Huffaz-e-Karam to lead a procession of students and teachers, starting from the main entrance of the new campus to the Convocation ground where the new administration building of the university is now located, while reciting chapters of the Holy Quran. The latest ceremony began with a rally led by Huffaz reciting verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem and speeches highlighting KU's acc...