Indus Vitals

Integrated care, improved early diagnosis, and efforts to end stigma urged amid growing neurological crisis IV Report KARACHI: Mental health experts have expressed serious concern over the growing burden of brain diseases in Pakistan and called on federal and provincial governments to prioritise the integration of qualified medical practitioners, health infrastructure, and community-level interventions to address the challenge. Speaking at a press conference organised by the Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation (NARF) at the Karachi Press Club on July 17—ahead of World Brain Day (July 22)—the experts warned that the country lacks adequate neurological centres, early diagnostic systems, and public awareness about brain-related disorders. They emphasised that the shortage of neuro and psychiatric specialists, particularly in rural and underserved urban areas, must be countered through policy reforms. These could include training general practitioners, family physicians, a...

In collaboration with Health Promotion Foundation, IHHN to help establish 3,000 free clinics for underserved communities IV Report KARACHI: The Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) has partnered with the Health Promotion Foundation (HPF) to establish 3,000 dedicated diabetes care units across Pakistan, with a special focus on providing free consultations and high-quality care to vulnerable populations. The announcement was made during a diabetes awareness session organised for media professionals at the IHHN facility in Korangi on July 15. The session, attended by IHHN President Dr Abdul Bari Khan and other senior executives, marked the first in a planned quarterly series titled “Dialogue with Media” under the broader “With HealthWise” initiative. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Bari said the initiative aims to empower journalists with accurate and evidence-based information to influence public attitudes and behaviors regarding diabetes. “With the HealthWise series...

IV Report KARACHI: Sindh, along with other provinces, is set to launch the third round of its additional routine immunisation campaign—Big Catch-Up Round 3—targeting children aged 2 to 5 years across all 30 districts of the province. The 24-day campaign will begin on July 14, amid directives from senior health officials to ensure measurable and tangible outcomes, according to a campaign official. The campaign aims to vaccinate 1.5 million children against 12 preventable diseases, with the support of a large-scale operational workforce and updated micro-plans. Chairing a high-level meeting in this regard, Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch underscored that the campaign was not a routine exercise but a critical initiative to reach children who may have missed their regular vaccinations. “Our focus is on children aged 2 to 5 years who are feared to have missed routine immunisations. This round must produce results,” he said, urging district officials to update micro-plans, d...

(In Part 1, we reported on Sindh’s rising virus circulation and the widening immunity gap flagged by national experts. In this concluding part of the special report originally published in Social Track, leading paediatricians and infectious disease experts offer critical insights into why poliovirus continues to circulate in Sindh — and what must change in routine immunisation, accountability, and public health systems to overcome it.) By Mukhtar Alam Gaps in surveillance and campaign efficacy: Prof Dr Iqbal Ahmed Memon, Chair of the Provincial Expert Review Committee, offered a nuanced view of Sindh’s polio situation, suggesting that high virus detection may reflect “better surveillance sensitivity rather than outright programme failure”. “The increased detection signals active case finding,” he said. “However, immunity gaps persist—likely due to vaccine refusals and the complex dynamics of urban slums.” He added that such discrepancies are not unique to Sindh but indicative of ...

As Sindh reports rising virus circulation and positive sewage samples, specialists urge evidence-based reforms, better accountability, and investment in water, sanitation, and primary healthcare (Originally published in Social Track , a weekly from Karachi, this two-part report dives into the persistence of poliovirus in Sindh and across Pakistan — despite years of eradication efforts.) By Mukhtar Alam  KARACHI: With Pakistan remaining one of only two polio-endemic countries—alongside Afghanistan—the situation in Sindh has raised fresh concern among medical experts and public health observers. Over the 11 months since July 2024, the province has reported 25 new cases of paralytic polio in children and 272 environmental samples testing positive for the virus—an alarming indicator of what experts describe as the “suboptimal performance” of the province’s polio eradication programme. According to official data, Pakistan has recorded 12 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) so ...

SHRC urges multi-sectoral action as abandoned patients and resource gaps strain Sindh’s largest mental health facility HYDERABAD: During a high-level visit to Sindh’s largest mental health facility in Hyderabad -- Sir Cowasji Jehangir Institute of Psychiatry -- officials acknowledged major gaps in psychiatric staffing and patient rehabilitation as well as security concerns. Medical Superintendent Dr Nisar Ahmed Soho flagged the growing burden of long-recovered but abandoned patients, while Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chairperson Iqbal Ahmed Detho called for introducing multi-agency coordination and rights-based reforms to ensure continued care and dignity for the province’s mentally ill population. MS Dr Soho highlighted the plight of the abandoned long-recovered patients, particularly elderly men and women, who are reportedly left behind due to lack of guardianship. He also raised concerns over critical shortages of trained psychiatric personnel and overstretched hospital...

New global report urges stronger support to reach 666 million people still without electricity, mostly in rural and vulnerable communities. KARACHI: A new global report has called for urgent, tailored financial support to expand decentralised renewable energy in developing countries, warning that 666 million people — mostly in rural and vulnerable communities — still lack basic access to electricity. The Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 , released on June 25 by a consortium of international agencies, shows that while electricity access has grown to cover nearly 92% of the world’s population, the pace remains too slow to achieve universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access fares worse, with 2.1 billion people still relying on harmful fuels such as firewood, charcoal, and kerosene — contributing to serious health and environmental risks. The report highlights decentralised renewable energy — including mini-grids, solar home systems, and off-grid clean cooking tech...