LAHORE
Pakistan will observe 6th annual World Prematurity Day to reaffirm its commitment towards reducing the number of preterm births in the country. According to an estimate, 860,000 premature births are recorded each year in Pakistan of which nearly 102,000 children die due to related complications, says Unicef.
According to a handout issued on Wednesday, globally, 15 million babies are born before time each year and over 1 million children die before their fifth birthday. Pakistan is ranked second among the top ten countries that account for nearly two-thirds of all deaths from preterm birth complications. Without a major push to reduce these deaths, it will not be possible to reach the Sustainable Global Goal, endorsed by 193 countries, to end all preventable newborn and child deaths by 2030.
The World Prematurity Day 2016 will highlight innovations that show the most promise in transforming the prevention, diagnosis, and management of preterm birth. While it provides an opportunity to call attention to the heavy burden of death and disability when a child is born too soon, it is also a chance to talk about solutions.
Unicef emphasises that preterm births and child deaths can be reduced by strengthening health policies and services as well as improving access and care for mothers and newborns. Although notable achievements have been made in the health sector, a lot more is needed in terms of the quality of care for women and newborns.
An important aspect of prevention of preterm birth is adequate maternal nutrition which is critical for fetal development. Women with low Body Mass Index or low pregnancy weight gain are at increased risk for preterm birth. There are other proven low-cost interventions that are especially effective for preterm babies. These include antenatal steroid injections given to mothers in preterm labor, Kangaroo Mother Care, a technique used to keep the new-born warm and support breast feeding. Good hygiene care can help prevent multiple infections while early initiation of breast feeding within the first hour can particularly help prevent deaths.
Denmark: To create awareness and prepare a strategy to fight diabetes, the Punjab government and Novo Nordisk signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hold Punjab diabetes forum in Lahore.
According to a handout on Wednesday, the signing was done by Secretary for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, Najam Ahmed Shah and country head of Danish Pharmaceutical Company, Novo Nordisk. The Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Ole Thonke, attended the ceremony. This MoU signing is an important milestone in joint collaboration and efforts of the government and Government of Denmark for the prevention and control of diabetes in Pakistan, as Punjab shares half of the country’s population and a huge number of health managers dealing with diabetes.
On this occasion, Secretary for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, Najam Ahmed Shah stated: “Only knowing about diabetes is not enough; prevention by changing one’s lifestyle and diabetes management with a strong willpower are critical. We are the seventh largest country in terms of diabetes, this is time to take this problem head on.”
According to the recent statistics by International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 400 million people suffer from diabetes around the world; by 2035 this will rise almost 600 million, unless serious actions and procedures are taken. Diabetes is a growing non-communicable disease in Pakistan. It is roughly estimated that about 7 million people in Pakistan live with diabetes, and half of them may not even know it. It is predicted that by 2035, the number of people with diabetes will nearly double to 12.8 million.
Punjab Diabetes Forum will be held on December 6 in Lahore under the patronage of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The forum will be focusing on advocacy campaigns for diabetes awareness, prevention and control, through focused group workshops and a scientific symposium.
Addressing the participants of the signing ceremony, The Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, HE Ole Thonke, said “It’s very encouraging to see the positive progress of Pakistan towards greater awareness, prevention and control of diabetes. With a strong national policy and a close collaboration with a world-leading pharmaceutical industry, Denmark has been able to deliver effective solution to prevent and treat diabetes. We are dedicated to improve better quality in healthcare’ not only at home, but also globally through these types of initiatives. This collaboration with the Punjab government of Punjab is my opinion a perfect example of this”.
lab upgraded: Pathological Laboratory of Lady Aitchison Hospital has been upgraded and three latest machines, HbA1C, Coagulation Profile Machine, Fully Automated Chemistry Analyzer and CBC Analyzer have been installed in the Laboratory.
According to a handout issued on Wednesday, Medical Superintendent Dr Samina Naseer informed that these machines have been installed at a cost of Rs 4.5 million. She said that advanced blood tests of patients now would be possible in the hospital and it is a great facility for the women coming from far flung areas for their treatment.
