COVID-19: Vaccination for 50-59 age group to start from 21st April

• Over 100 people die on fifth consecutive day

• 100pc beds allocated for Covid-19 patients in use in Swabi

ISLAMABAD, APR 18: While coronavirus-related deaths in the country have surpassed the figure of 16,000, number of active cases has swelled to 79,108 with 4,984 patients admitted to hospitals.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decided on Saturday to start vaccination of people in the 50-59 age group from Wednesday, April 21.

The data shared by the NCOC showed that with over 100 deaths for five continuous days, the number of overall deaths has risen to 16,094.

Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman also mentioned this in a tweet. She said it was the fifth straight day when more than 100 deaths were reported and the positivity ratio reached 7.6 per cent.

She pointed out that considering its population, the country had the lowest ratio of vaccination in Asia.

“It seems that Pakistan will take a decade to vaccinate 75pc of its population,” Ms Rehman said.

The data showed that 112 deaths and 4,976 new cases were reported in a single day. There were 520 ventilators in use of Covid-19 patients across the country. Over 80pc ventilators allocated for Covid-19 patients were in use in three cities of Punjab i.e. Gujranwala, Lahore and Multan and 55pc in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa’s city Mardan.

The data showed a dismal situation of oxygenated beds as in Swabi 100pc beds were in use while Charsadda’s 89pdc and Gujranwala’s 85pc beds were in use. Only 22pc of the beds were vacant in Peshawar.

The number of active cases surged to 79,108 as of April 17. However, Pakistan conducted another highest number of tests in a day i.e. 65,279.

So far a total of 750,158 cases have been detected and 654,956 people have defeated the deadly virus.

Vaccination

“Decision taken in today’s NCOC meeting to start vaccination of people in the age group of 50 to 59 from Wednesday the 21st of April. Would once again encourage everyone to register for the vaccination,” federal Minister for Planning and Development tweeted.

---------------------------------------------

COURTESY DAWN NEWS

-----------

Sweden allocating an additional 7 billion kroner for its health service

Stockholm, (SWEDEN), APR 8: Sweden will spend an extra SEK 7 billion on the health system and vaccinations in the fight against the corona pandemic.

In addition to the purchase and roll-out of vaccines, the billions will be used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and other treatments that have been postponed due to the pandemic.

“We are adding financial resources to strengthen the vaccination and infection control work,” Minister of Finance Magdalena Andersson said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The proposal for extra money for the health service has been made in an additional proposal for a revised budget.

“We are putting forward a proposal to add another two billion to the regions,” Andersson said. The regions are responsible for health services in Sweden.

--------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

------------

LATEST SURVEY: People gained weight and their health has deteriorated due to home office

OSLO, MAR 30: For many people, one year in “home office mode” has left its mark. In a survey, four out of ten people answered that they had gained weight. Just as many believe that their health has deteriorated.

A total of 38% answered that they had gained weight during the home office corona year. Furthermore, 42% believe that the past year has had a negative impact on their health, while 23% answered that the home office period has been positive for their health.

The survey was conducted by YouGov for the insurance company If.

Almost half answered that they got in less everyday training due to work from home.

At the same time, gyms have been closed for a long time in parts of Norway. In addition, the coziness that was previously reserved for holidays and weekends has also taken over everyday life under corona.

Harder to live healthily

“The study is part of a series of studies that show that people have experienced that it has been difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle through the many months with a lot of staying at home,” researcher Annechen Bahr Bugge at the Consumer Research Institute (SIFO) told news bureau NTB.

She believes that this is due to the fact that people’s movement patterns have changed a lot, as well as changes in their daily food.

“Usually, most people eat one or more meals in a canteen, café or restaurant. Now, these meals have been moved home.”

Work, family, and home school have become mixed up. In the survey, 50% answered that it has become more difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“We believe the lockdown and isolation have led to a greater need to enjoy what you can,” communications director Lars Galtung in If noted.

----------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

---------------

Patients’ Aid Foundation, JPMC officials vow to work together

ISLAMABAD, MAR 18: The Patients’ Aid Foundation (PAF) is a non-profit healthcare management organization that works closely with JPMC officials and the Government of Sindh under a public-private partnership to transform the healthcare landscape at JPMC.

Dr. Amtul Qaddus Latif, Head of Clinical Department, JPMC, believes that the continuous support PAF has provided to the department is very noteworthy.

-------------------------------------------

Pakistan urges world to stop spread of fake Covid-19 vaccines

UNITED NATIONS, MAR 8: Pakistan has urged the international community to work together to prevent criminals from making and distributing false Covid-19 vaccines and other fake medical products.

“In the context of Covid-19, there is a need for effective action against falsified and fake medical products — such as Covid-19 vaccines — and to strengthen international cooperation in this regard,” said Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations.

In his statement at a high-level segment of the 14th Crime Congress in New York on Saturday evening, the Pakistani envoy warned that the Covid-19 pandemic had exposed various vulnerabilities which could be exploited by the criminals.

“Like all other aspects of our daily lives, the impact of Covid-19 on transnational organised crime has been significant,” he said. “There is a compelling case for enhanced international action to combat and dismantle networks and platforms that perpetrate these crimes and undermine progress towards Agenda 2030.”

Agenda 2030 represents 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN General Assembly in July 2017 as a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”.

“There can be no sustainable development without justice, the rule of law and prevention and control of crime,” Ambassador Akram warned.

He said that the agenda of the 14th Crime Congress — “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of Agenda 2030” — was both timely and appropriate and central to the achievement of all SDGs.

Identifying the key issues that the Congress needed to focus on, the Pakistani envoy said their first priority should be to stop “the bleeding of the resources of developing countries through illicit financial flows”.

“It is nothing short of criminal to allow such flows to continue during this crisis when developing countries are already struggling to overcome the challenges posed by shrinking fiscal space to fight the pandemic and achieve the SDGs,” he added.

Ambassador Akram urged the Congress to consider the important recommendations contained in the latest report of International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) Panel for follow-up action.

The panel’s estimates show that $7 trillion is held in secrecy jurisdictions and haven countries, which is almost 10 per cent of the global GDP. Illicit financial flows cost $500-$650 billion a year to developing countries. Criminal syndicates launder about $1.6 trillion every year. And about $1.5-$2tr every year passes hands as bribes.

To overcome this massive corruption, the panel proposed structural reforms in the global financial system.

Ambassador Akram also underlined the need to combat environmental crimes and ever-growing illegal trade in wildlife, “which could lead to other zoonotic diseases (like Covid-19)”, if not controlled.

The Pakistani envoy demanded changes in labour and migration laws to discourage human trafficking. “Opening up additional avenues for legal migration is one way to reduce the demand for smuggling services and to meet migration-related SDGs,” he added.

---------------------------------------

COURTESY DAWN NEWS

-----------