WHO chief praises Pakistan's successful handling of pandemic

Pakistan deployed infrastructure built up for polio to combat Covid-19, Tedros writes in an opinion piece

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has appreciated Pakistan’s strategy against Covid-19 which according to him not only stemmed the spread of virus but also allowed the country’s economy to recover amid pandemic.

In an opinion piece published in The Independent, Tedros said Pakistan deployed the infrastructure built up over many years for polio to combat Covid-19.

“Community health workers who have been trained to go door-to-door vaccinating children against polio have been redeployed and utilised for surveillance, contact tracing and care,” he added.

The global health body chief said the strategy suppressed the virus which led to the revival of economy.

“This has suppressed the virus so that, as the country stabilises, the economy is also now picking up once again. Reinforcing the lesson that the choice is not between controlling the virus and saving the economy; the two go hand-in-hand,” he maintained.

He also acknowledged the collective response of other countries including Thailand, Italy, Uruguay and others for bringing the pandemic under control.

“Many countries have driven an all-of-government, all-of-society response. With the right infrastructure in place, they were able to act early to contain outbreaks before transmission got out of hand.”

Earlier in May, Tedros had said Pakistan was among countries from which the international community should learn how to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest study by Pakistan's leading blood diseases institute earlier this month suggested there is a slim chance of a second wave of the novel coronavirus.

The cross-sectional study conducted from May to July at the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) Karachi, has been published by the Oxford University Press's Journal of Public Health.

Titled, “Challenges in acquiring herd immunity for Covid-19,” the study conducted by a team of microbiologist, hematologists and pathologists, led by Dr Samreen Zaidi, includes nearly 1,700 people from three groups – health care, community and industrial workers.

It included adult male and female participants, who ranged in age from 18 to 60.

The study conducted to assess antibodies levels in diverse a group of residents to comprehend prevalence in the community, revealed that 36% of the workforce of Karachi, the country’s largest city and commercial capital, have already developed immunity against the Covid-19.

Pakistan has thus far recorded 311,516 cases, of which 296,340 have recovered with 6,474 fatalities.