The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it has issued guidance advising people on how to test themselves for the coronavirus, months after critics said the lack of recommendations was compromising efforts to stop the pandemic in poor countries, reports AP.

At a press briefing, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was concerned that some countries are dramatically reducing their Covid-19 testing as the virus appears to recede in some parts of the world.

Self-testing remains a vital tool in our fight against Covid-19 as part of a comprehensive strategy, Tedros said, adding that abandoning testing would cripple officials' efforts to track the disease.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran’s new leader
Updated 10 Mar, 2026

Iran’s new leader

The position is the most powerful in Iran, bringing together clerical authority and political and ideological leadership.
National priorities
10 Mar, 2026

National priorities

EVEN as the country faces heightened risks of attacks from actual terrorists, an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi...
Silenced march
10 Mar, 2026

Silenced march

ON the eve of International Women’s Day, Islamabad Police detained dozens of Aurat March activists who had ...
War & deception
Updated 09 Mar, 2026

War & deception

While there is little doubt that Iran is involved in many of the retaliatory attacks, the facts raise suspicions that another player may be at work.
The witness box
09 Mar, 2026

The witness box

IT is often the fear of the courtroom and what may transpire therein that drives many victims of crime, especially...
Asylum applications
09 Mar, 2026

Asylum applications

BRITAIN’S tough immigration posture has again drawn attention to the sharp rise in asylum claims by Pakistani...