Data deficit fuelling health crisis
A forum of experts observing World TB Day last month lamented that Pakistan continues to lack indigenous data on diseases—the data that is critical to influence policy decisions and track progress, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). TB and other infectious and contagious diseases remain growing concerns, as reported in this newspaper and echoed by specialists who stress that locally generated data is vital for understanding disease epidemiology, trends, and overall burden. There is no doubt that reliable data empowers policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities alike to take informed decisions regarding disease strategies, resource allocation, and programme implementation. It is nonetheless commendable that medical experts, despite systemic hurdles, have consistently sounded the alarm on the nation’s infectious disease burden. Relying on their own field studies and, often, on overwhelming internationally disseminated estimates, they have kept the spotlig...