The availability of relevant data is an essential requirement to draw the right conclusions at any planning forum. In the fight against the novel coronavirus, sufficient statistics are not available, that reflect the real pattern of the spread of the pandemic in Pakistan. Daily updates on new cases and deaths can be traced down only to the provincial level. This is not enough to work out the right strategy for resource commitment or the undertaking of relief operations.
There is an urgent need to compile and make public district wise reports, which will provide greater clarity when carrying out risk analysis. We may not be surprised to find a single case in one area, while discovering dangerously large clusters in others. Such an eventuality can direct us to find the real reason for the spread of the pandemic in different areas, and thereby help us to arrive at a suitable response. District wise reports will also facilitate in monitoring/ evaluating efforts at the grassroots level.
Saud Bashir Bajwa
Lahore