Pakistan: A nation held back by NTDs

Blum, Alan; Majid, Muhammad Farhan; Hotez, Peter J.

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006751

Cited by 15 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Education plays an important role in understanding the medical awareness (37). Overall low levels of health literacy in any section of the nal response may be correlated with the low proportion of postgraduate respondents, as well as the large number of respondents from rural areas (18). Information inequalities may be linked with socioeconomic disparities because almost 90% of the respondents' families were earning less than 75,000 Pakistani rupees, which is an aspect closely linked with low health literacy levels (37,38).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rich clients of the media in Pakistan have access to high-quality and timely information. But information regarding COVID-19 is also the right of people living in rural areas (18) and of vulnerable populations, such as refugees. There is a need for guidance to recognize the importance of the media for disseminating information related to the coronavirus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of the Media in Health-Related Awareness Campaigns on Perceptions of COVID-19: A Pre-Post Study in the General Population of Pakistan

Rehman

Zakar

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: In January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global public health emergency. Medical preparedness and community education are the most valuable preventive tools for combatting this pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess the role of media public health awareness campaigns on the knowledge of the general population about COVID-19 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.Methods: A quantitative study using a pre-post design among 384 respondents was conducted. To recruit study participants, a systematic random sampling technique was used. A structured questionnaire was administered to the participants twice: The first response (t1) from participants was filled in during the first week in February 2020 before any confirmed cases were reported in the country, and the second response (t2) was completed one month after the first case detection in Pakistan (March 2020). Media health awareness campaigns were launched just after the detection of the first case in Pakistan. Data was analysed by computing descriptive statistics and paired t-tests to measure the level of association between variables.Results: Exposure to the media and knowledge relating to COVID-19, particularly its symptoms and frequent handwashing as a preventive measure, increased over time. Whereas only a quarter of respondents judged the isolation of suspected cases in quarantine to be important to prevent the spread of infection in society at t1, more than half did so at t2. The same increase was visible in relation to the statement that a lockdown helps to follow social distancing. Socio-demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with knowledge (gains). However, more frequent use of electronic media is associated with greater knowledge gains from t1 to t2.Conclusions: The findings of this study provide evidence that awareness and knowledge related to COVID-19 symptoms and preventive measures increased significantly over time. The increased frequency of following the media indicates that health awareness campaigns are important for enhancing the knowledge of the general public regarding COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of the Media in Health-Related Awareness Campaigns on Perceptions of COVID-19: A Pre-Post Study in the General Population of Pakistan

Rehman

Zakar

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…8,9 Pakistan is in the top 10 countries for the highest absolute number of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) infections. 10 In 2013, one study found that around 80 million individuals suffered from one or more chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental disorders. 11 Measles has infected around 7,000 children in 2019, and it caused a severe outbreak in 2012-13 infecting thousands of deaths and causing hundreds of deaths.…”

Section: Healthcare System: Services Providers and Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why May COVID-19 Overwhelm Low-Income Countries Like Pakistan?

Ali

2020

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Since the coronavirus disease 2019, called COVID-19, has overwhelmed the high-income countries with ample resources and established healthcare system, we argue that there are plausible concerns why it may devastate the low-income countries like Pakistan. Focusing on Pakistan, we highlight the underlying reasons—e.g., demographic features, ineffective healthcare system, economic and social inequalities, corruption, and socio-cultural characteristics—that create fertile grounds for COVID-19 to overwhelm low-income countries. This paper presents Pakistan’s brief profile to demonstrate these underlying structures that may make the country more vulnerable in the face of an unceasing COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes that the country may make appropriate and possible effective short-term preparedness measures to halt or slow the transmission of the virus, and deal with its current implications as well as it may pay significant attention to long-term measures to deal effectively with COVID-19 longer-term effects. These measures may help Pakistan to deal appropriately with a similar future critical event.

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“…The three major areas of focus by WHO are social awareness, management and vector-borne control of dengue ( 8 ). In 2016, prevalence of NTDs in Pakistan was as: ascariasis (13.1%), cystic echinococcosis (0.1%), hookworm infection (1.2%), trichuriasis (1.0%), cutaneous leishmaniasis (0.2%), blinding trachoma (0.1%), and leprosy (0.1%) ( 9 ).…”

Section: Dear Editor-in-chiefmentioning

confidence: 99%