Indus Vitals

ST File photo Experts call for comprehensive regulations to address the rising influence of nicotine products among youth and curb tobacco-related health risks. KARACHI: Highlighting alarming trends uncovered by a recent national study on tobacco and nicotine use among adolescents aged 10 to 16, experts at a seminar have called for stronger enforcement and expansion of existing laws to include emerging nicotine products, which they described as a persistent public health crisis. The seminar, titled “Tobacco & Media: Shaping Perceptions and Driving Policy,” was organised under the Voice Against Tobacco (VAT) initiative of the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN), Karachi. It brought together civil society representatives, media practitioners, and senior health professionals to discuss the growing influence of the tobacco industry on Pakistani youth. A central focus of the discussion was the unchecked availability of nicotine pouches, raising questions about r...

  Professor Jehan Ara Hasan takes over as acting vice chancellor after Dr Saeed Quraishy's tenure, described as one of "visionary leadership," "institutional growth," and "pioneering healthcare initiatives." IV Report KARACHI: The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has entered a new chapter of its journey today (April 29), as the institution begins operating under an acting vice chancellor following the departure of Professor Dr Mohammad Saeed Quraishy, who completed his second consecutive four-year tenure as vice chancellor on April 28. According to a notification issued by the Sindh government's Universities and Boards Department, Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Jehan Ara Hasan, a Meritorious Professor, will assume the "look-after" charge of the vice chancellor's office effective on April 29. She will continue in this acting capacity until a regular vice chancellor is appointed by the controlling authority upon recommend...

    Thatta declared Pakistan’s most malaria-affected district; new AKU-led initiative aims to create a model for nationwide elimination. IV Report KARACHI: On World Malaria Day, April 25, stakeholders launched a major initiative aimed at eliminating mosquito-borne infectious diseases in Thatta, which they identified as the most malaria-burdened district in Sindh, Pakistan. The launch ceremony, held at the Aga Khan University (AKU), was attended by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho—who also serves as the Patron-in-Chief of the project—as the chief guest. Attendees were informed that Thatta had reported 10,000 malaria cases in 2023, the highest count in the country, according to a press release issued by AKU. "The government of Sindh is proud to support this incredible initiative, which has the potential to uplift suffering communities across Sindh," said Minister Dr Pechuho. The initiative, known as the Thatta Malaria Elimination Plan (TMEP), envisio...

IV Report  KARACHI : Climate change is not just an environmental issue—it’s a social justice imperative, especially for the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world. This was the core message echoed by experts, academics, and policymakers at a seminar titled “Climate Change and Disability: A New Frontier” , held at the University of Karachi (KU) on April 23. The seminar brought to the forefront the urgent need for inclusive strategies to combat the rising challenges posed by global warming, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation—issues that are disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities, including persons with disabilities. “We must stop treating climate and disability as separate issues,” said Major General Nayyer Naseer, 𝐷𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐵𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 , the chief guest, highlighting how climate change can directly cause or worsen disabilities. He criticised the global c...

IV Report KARACHI: Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) presented awards to seven of its distinguished senior alumni in recognition of their contributions to surgical innovation, clinical excellence, and medical education at a ceremony held on April 19. The event also featured a video message from renowned urologist Prof Dr Adib-ul Hasan Rizvi, founder and director of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). JSMU Vice Chancellor Prof Amjad Siraj Memon conferred gold medals and certificates—instituted as the JSMU Lifetime Achievement Awards—on the honoured physicians, who have significantly transformed patient outcomes nationwide. A university handout issued on April 20 noted that these awards will continue to be presented in the future. Among the award recipients were Dr Altaf Hussain Hashmi, Professor of Urology at SIUT; Dr Shahid Sami, Professor of Cardiology affiliated with South City Hospital and the Aga Khan University Hospital; Dr Rubina Hussain, Professo...

Transfusion transmissible infections rate among blood samples increased to 5.2pc in 2024 from 4.85pc in 2023 By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: A summary prepared by the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) about the yearly blood collections at various regional blood centres and blood banks revealed that 5.2% samples of the total 934,760 blood donations –either made voluntarily or availed on the family and exchange basis— in 2024 tested positive for at least one of the transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs), a situation that certainly needs to draw concern from experts and public healthcare authorities in the province. Despite advancement made in the context of blood donation safety during the last over a decade in the province, as claimed by health authorities, TTIs prevailed among blood donors, with the rates: hepatitis C virus (1.9%), syphilis (1.6%), hepatitis B virus (1.5%), HIV (0.1%), and malaria (0.1%) in 2024. Presence of such levels of TTIs among donors needs to be addre...

IV Report KARACHI: In an uncommon move, the University of Karachi (KU) syndicate on April 17 formally approved the allocation of one acre of the university's protected land to the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC), responding to the commission’s request for space within the campus. According to a KU press release, the syndicate meeting, chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, reviewed and endorsed the recommendations of a designated subcommittee, which had examined the matter. The subcommittee recommended the allocation of one acre—half of SHEC’s original request for two acres—concluding that the reduced space would sufficiently meet SHEC's construction needs. This decision follows an earlier meeting held on August 31, when the syndicate had agreed in principle to the land transfer and formed the subcommittee to evaluate the proposal and outline the transfer’s terms. The move has since sparked concerns among faculty, alumni, students, and other stak...

IV Report KARACHI: Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has officially inaugurated its Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) at the Ojha campus, with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah praising the development and pledging an additional Rs2 billion for advanced equipment. The CCC, built at a cost of Rs6.4 billion, features cutting-edge facilities for diagnosis and treatment, including Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Nuclear Medicine Theranostics. Cancer patients have been benefiting from nuclear medicine and high-quality imaging services for over a month. Speaking at a related ceremony on April 16, Chief Minister Shah emphasised the centre's potential to transform cancer care in the province, providing affordable treatment to patients across the region. He commended DUHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Saeed Quraishy and his team for their dedication and hard work. The CCC boasts advanced research and teaching facilities, aligning with DUHS's commitment to innov...

IV Report KARACHI: In a significant push for healthcare reform, representatives from governments, academia, international development partners, and health professionals have urged increased public health spending, improved health information systems, and integration of health and population welfare departments at national and subnational levels. This consensus emerged at the conclusion of a two-day national symposium on “Primary Health Care” held on April 15-16, hosted by the Aga Khan University (AKU). During the symposium, AKU President Sulaiman Shahabuddin presented the “Lifetime Achievement Award” to Sindh Minister for Health and Population departments, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, citing her 25 years of experience in the health sector. Dr Pechuho has driven systematic improvements in Sindh’s healthcare landscape, championing initiatives such as controlling infectious diseases, expanding immunization coverage, and improving access to health and education services, particularly for women...

KARACHI: The Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Centre (GKRC) of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has treated around 2,500 patients with brain tumours, with an average yearly increasing rate of 96% till 2024, since it became operational in 2021, this emerged recently. Dedicated neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and other specialists at the centre—first facility of its kind in the public sector health settings in the country for patients with tumours, blood vessel malformations and nerve disorders reporting from across the country—are aspiring additional non-invasive treatment platform to reach more patients. Dow-GKRC considered both by relevant experts and benefitted-patients a world-class treatment facility on an affordable cost had handled 176 patients in the last four months of 2021. “The number of treated patients increased to 651 in 2022; 725 in 2023; and 775 in 2024, while about 200 patients have been treated so far this year (2025) at the centre,” shared an official concern...