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National scene: Programmes needed to control leishmaniasis
The government lacks programmes to control leishmaniasis, which has reportedly been spreading fast in the areas affected by the Oct 8 earthquake, according to a detailed report.
“The risk is high due to ideal breeding conditions for both the disease’s reservoir, the dog, and its vector, the sandfly,” said the Gateway Paper on Health Systems in Pakistan which was issued recently by the Health Policy Forum.
Despite endemicity of the disease, the federal government has no programme to control leishmaniasis, the report said. Management of leishmaniasis cases through the establishment of ad hoc response units by the government in areas where the media frequently report cases constitute the only reaction to the disease.
Based on the epidemiological patterns of the disease, a comprehensive intervention is warranted, the report said. The disease is caused due to the bite of a two- to three-millimetre-long sandfly.
Only the female sandfly transmits the disease by infecting itself with leishmania parasites contained in the blood it sucks from its human or mammalian host to obtain the protein necessary to develop its eggs. During a period of four to 25 days, the parasite continues its development inside the sandfly where it undergoes a major transformation.
When the infected female sandfly feeds on a fresh source of blood, its painful sting inoculates the new victim with the parasite and the transmission cycle is thus completed.
Nobel laureate
Renowned scientist and Nobel laureate Prof Richard Robert Ernest, in his lecture recently in Islamabad, said scientists should work for the collective good of humanity.
Prof Ernest remarked: “Let us become path finders as science alone does not solve the problems of the globe.” He ended his lecture by saying that all the people were jointly responsible for what was likely to come in the future.
Earlier, introducing him, chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, said it was good to see Prof Ernest visit Pakistan because this allowed Pakistani scientists to exchange views with the Noble laureate. He pointed out that the professor had won the Nobel prize for developing techniques in high-resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.
Genome centre in Karachi
The governor of Sindh, Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, last week directed the vice-chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, Dr Masood Hameed Khan, to formulate a PC-1 for the proposed Jinnah Genome Centre so that work on it could be started soon.
The said centre is proposed to be established so that research work on gene chip or biochip technology could be carried out, which will ultimately help check genetic disorders and guide doctors to prescribe tailor-made drugs compatible with the patients’ genetic make-up.
The proposed centre was discussed at a meeting presided over by the governor which was also attended, among others, by Dr Hameed Khan of the National Institute of Health, US, and Dr Ashraf Motan of the federal government’s planning division.
During the meeting, experts from the US gave a detailed briefing on gene chip or biochip technology, currently being used by scientists for the diagnosis of the genetic causes of diseases.
Renewable energy
A Pakistani organization has joined hands with a German company to start a renewable and environment-friendly energy programme to enhance industrial productivity, according to some sources.
A working group meeting of the National Productivity Organization and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) company was held recently in Islamabad to discuss “incentives for energy efficiency for the industry”.
Under the Pakistan-German Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency programme, NPO and GTZ will work towards enhancing industrial productivity through the use of more efficient and cleaner production initiatives in selected industries. The programme is slated to benchmark the future energy needs and existing success stories for replication.
The working group discussed the role of energy use and efficiency in industry. It also laid stress on critical steps required to build capacity and ways to link students with NPO initiatives and to promote greater awareness about sustainability of national initiatives.
Earthquake
An earthquake of mild intensity was felt in Peshawar, Balakot, Muzaffarabad, Islamabad and adjoining areas recently. According to the met office in Peshawar, the 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 10.45am. The epicentre of the quake was about 200kms from Peshawar in the Hazara Division. — Agencies
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