WHO seeks policymakers’ role in prevention of NCDs in Pakistan

WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala has said non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for a significant portion of the mortality rate in Pakistan, amounting to 57 per cent, and urged policymakers and legislators to play their role kin the prevention of these diseases by promoting a healthy lifestyle.

In his meeting with Senator Kauda Babar, convener of the Senate Committee for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, in Karachi on Friday, he lauded the chairman of the Senate for establishing the committee and hoped that it would promote a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and other preventable diseases.

Senator Babar highlighted the imperative nature of bringing all stakeholders together to develop a consensus and work collectively for the NCDs’ prevention, despite health being a provincial subject, that saying a letter had been dispatched to all provincial governments by his office for consultations.

The two sides engaged in a discussion regarding mutual cooperation, with the Senate committee identifying specific areas where the WHO’s assistance, leveraging their expertise, would be most beneficial. The engagement plan for the next six months will be shared, and progress will be closely monitored. WHO will offer technical support to the committee since the organisation has expertise in the area.

It was agreed that the collaboration would start with a campaign against tobacco use, and a consultation in Islamabad is scheduled in the upcoming month, inviting all relevant stakeholders. Senator Babar, as the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on IT, will take up the matter of an awareness campaign about tobacco through telecom service providers.

Senator Babar said that given WHO’s global engagement on NCDs, the organisation can connect the Senate committee with other parliamentary forums worldwide that have effectively worked on NCDs. The potential role of parliament with federal structure like Pakistan for the NCDs’ prevention was also examined.

Both sides were enthusiastic about their shared endeavour for NCDs’ prevention, particularly the initial focus on tobacco use. The meeting was fruitful and laid the groundwork for future initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Sindh health department and WHO have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), through which WHO would rehabilitate 150 flood-hit primary healthcare centres in 21 districts in the province. The MoU was signed at a ceremony held at the EOC Sindh office on the occasion of World Health Day.

Dr Palitha Mahipala, Sindh Health and Population Affairs Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Dr Muhammad Juman Bahoto, the director general of health service, and others were in attendance.

Under the MoU, the global organisation will rehabilitate 150 health facilities, while the provincial health department will ensure the continuity of health services through human resources and ensure supplies from the health system.

In response to the last year‘s floods, WHO has strengthened 76 labour rooms, five neonatal intensive care units and five comprehensive maternal service centers in flood-affected districts of Sindh and also strengthened and established a total of 45 nutrition stabilisation centers in the province.

For the improvement of routine immunisation, WHO has supported the refurbishment of 414 Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) centers all over Sindh, and 66 of these being refurbished and renovated during 2023 alone.

At the ceremony, the health minister and WHO representative Dr Mahipala also discussed the solarisation of different vaccine storage facilities in the province as well as the prevalence of zero dose children that will be targeted through the EPI and WHO.

Dr Pechuho also thanked WHO for all the support it had provided in the province and the work they were continuing to do in partnership with the health department.

She suggested that there should be fixed sites for vaccination to save the vaccinators’ time and that the community was made aware of these fixed sites.