Indus Vitals

Health minister joins World Immunisation Week celebrations; routine immunisation hits 80% IV Report KARACHI: The Sindh government reaffirmed its commitment to universal child immunisation as Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho joined World Immunisation Week 2026 celebrations at SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls School on Tuesday. The provincial event, held during the global observance from April 24 to 30, was organised by the Sindh Health Department and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Sindh, in collaboration with UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, EOC Sindh, AMAN, and other core EPI partners. Provincial Minister for Health led the event, stressing that immunisation is “a fundamental right of every child” and “a shared responsibility to ensure that no child is left unprotected.” “Vaccines are our strongest shield against disability and death. Our mission is to ensure that every child in Sindh — whether living in the hi...

Signs campus mental health pledge on Wellness Day IV Report KARACHI: Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) marked the first International Wellness Day 2026 on April 27 by announcing the establishment of a Health and Wellness Centre and launching a university-wide Wellness Pledge aimed at addressing stress and burnout among students and faculty. The initiative was led by Dr M Iqbal Afridi in collaboration with the Internal Medicine Interest Group of Sindh Medical College-JSMU under the theme, “Integrating joy and sustainable health practices into daily life.” The United Nations had declared April 15 as International Wellness Day on March 10 this year. Introducing the resolution, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Lok Bahadur Thapa, said the world was facing mounting health challenges and stressed the need for stronger, more resilient health systems. Speaking at the JSMU event, Dr Afridi said stress had become normalised in the fast-paced world of medicine, while burn...

Sindh education minister warns against overreliance on AI, stresses human consciousness and creativity at education summit in Karachi IV Report KARACHI: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah on Saturday cautioned against the unchecked influence of artificial intelligence (AI), urging educators and policymakers to anchor future learning in human consciousness, creativity, and a deep connection with nature. Addressing the closing session of the 6th National Education Summit 2026 at the IBA Karachi auditorium, the minister said that while AI is rapidly transforming modern life, its long-term implications demand careful consideration. “It feels as though artificial intelligence has launched an attack; now we must think about our defense,” he remarked, framing the technological shift as both an opportunity and a challenge for education systems. The summit, titled “Nurturing Future-Ready Learners: Leadership Dialogue on AI and Generation Alpha,” was organised by the Pakistan...

Adds new diagnostic tests to tackle detection gaps IV Report KARACHI: Ahead of World Malaria Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the first malaria treatment developed specifically for newborns and young infants, and approved three new diagnostic tests to address emerging detection challenges. The newly approved formulation of artemether-lumefantrine is designed for babies weighing between two and five kilograms — a group long treated with medicines intended for older children, increasing the risk of dosing errors and side effects. WHO prequalification confirms the drug meets global standards of quality, safety and efficacy, enabling wider public-sector procurement and improving access for vulnerable infants. The move is expected to help close a longstanding treatment gap affecting millions of babies born annually in malaria-endemic regions, particularly in Africa, WHO said in a statement.                    ...

Association urges real-time surveillance systems and expanded preventive measures amid persistent malaria cases nationwide IV Report KARACHI: Marking World Malaria Day 2026, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called for urgent, decisive action to eliminate malaria, warning that the disease continues to impose a heavy burden despite the availability of new tools and treatments. In a statement issued on April 25 aligned with this year’s global theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must,” PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said that while scientific advances such as vaccines and next-generation mosquito nets have created unprecedented opportunities, their impact hinges on political will and timely implementation. The association also stressed the need to strengthen surveillance, urging authorities to implement a robust, data-driven reporting system to monitor and contain outbreaks in real time, alongside ensuring the availability of vaccines, diagnost...

                                                                                               IV photo Both sides to launch awareness drives, train officials under RTI Act 2016 IV Report KARACHI: The Sindh Information Commission (SIC) and Transparency International Pakistan have agreed to collaborate to advance transparency and open governance in Sindh, terming effective implementation of the Sindh Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2016 a “cornerstone” for citizens’ access to information. According to an official handout issued Saturday, the agreement came during a meeting where both sides discussed enhancing public awareness, building capacity of public bodies, and streamlining mechanisms for timely and proactive disclosure of informa...

PMA calls for structural reforms as PIMA urges parents to complete children’s immunisation IV Report KARACHI: As countries across the globe, including Pakistan, mark World Immunisation Week 2026 (April 24-30) to promote wider vaccine coverage among children, two leading medical bodies have issued both cautionary and motivational messages, calling for stronger government action and greater parental responsibility to improve immunisation uptake. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Friday warned of a growing “zero-dose” crisis, saying Pakistan remains at a critical juncture with over one million children having received no vaccinations. It noted that around 58 per cent of children are either unimmunised or under-immunised, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases. Highlighting regional disparities, the PMA said routine immunisation coverage in Pakistan lags behind neighbours such as China and Iran, where coverage exceeds 95 per cent, and India and Bangladesh, which ...

Medical body slams ‘criminal paralysis’ of govt, cites 65 measles deaths and surge in HIV among children IV Report KARACHI: Calling Sindh “a breeding ground for preventable deaths,” the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Thursday (April 23) declared the province’s health system in collapse, warning of unchecked outbreaks of measles, HIV, Congo virus, and monkeypox amid what it termed the administration’s “criminal paralysis.” In a press release, the PMA said Sindh was “battling a multi-front epidemic” while public hospitals function understaffed, undersupplied, and unsafe for doctors and patients alike. The association said Sindh emerged as the worst-affected province in 2025 for measles, recording over 11,000 suspected cases, 4,200 confirmed infections, and 65 deaths, with the impact falling primarily on children under five and mortality worsened by malnutrition. Karachi, Khairpur, Sukkur and Jacobabad were identified as hotspots. The situation, it added, has reached a cr...

New e-bulletin launched; experts stress research-led prevention and stronger inter-body collaboration IV Report KARACHI: The Karachi chapter of the Pakistan Cardiac Society (PCS) last week outlined its strategic roadmap for 2026 at a session titled “Clinical Innovation & Strategic Continuity,” held at the Tabba Heart Institute. The meeting brought together leading cardiologists and healthcare stakeholders to align priorities around clinical innovation, research, and institutional collaboration in cardiovascular care. Proceedings were moderated by Dr Aliya Kemal Ahsan, who also announced the launch of “The Karachi Beat,” an e-bulletin aimed at improving clinical communication and sharing emerging research within the cardiology community. Speaking about the initiative, Chief Editor Dr Akram Sultan and Editor Dr Aliya Kemal said separately that the publication—also referred to as “Heart Beat”—was envisioned as more than an academic outlet. “It is a platform for connection, ...

April 13 OPV drive targets 10.6m children, with Vitamin A as virus spreads beyond Karachi IV Report KARACHI: Sindh on Monday (April 13) launched the second round of the nationwide oral polio vaccination campaign for 2026, with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurating the seven-day drive at a ceremony held at a government school in Karachi. Addressing the event, the chief minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating the crippling disease, stressing that all-out efforts were being made to eliminate the poliovirus and protect children across the province. Officials noted that while Karachi districts had reported a significant burden of infection in recent years, cases are now being detected in Hyderabad and other districts, indicating a shift in transmission patterns. The campaign aims to vaccinate around 10.6 million children under five years of age across Sindh through the efforts of over 83,000 frontline polio workers. These children are also cover...

Over 73,000 workers to vaccinate 10.5m children from April 13–19 IV Report KARACHI: Sindh, attributing an improvement in its environmental surveillance (ES) site results reported lately, is gearing up for the second nationwide oral polio vaccine campaign from April 13 to 19, targeting around 10.5 million children under five across the province. The province, according to official data, has attained significant gains in its ongoing polio eradication efforts, with 76 per cent — 22 out of 29 — ES sites testing negative for poliovirus in March 2026, marking the strongest improvement recorded over the past three years. Against nine confirmed polio cases in children from Sindh last year, the province has reported one case so far this year — the only confirmed case in the country to date. By 2025, Pakistan had 127 environmental sampling sites, including 29 in Sindh, which reported six negative and 23 positive samples during the year. Karachi remained a hotspot, with a high number of...