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7 countries, including Pakistan, can teach India how to fight next pandemic

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros has called on countries to invest in public health in order to prepare ourselves from future pandemics like Covid-19.

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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General, has issued a stark warning about the work needed to prepare the world for future pandemics.

“This will not be the last pandemic,” he told a media briefing. “History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time.”

Time to invest in public health

Dr Tedros called on countries to invest in public health, as a “foundation of social, economic and political stability”.

Significant progress has been made in medicine, he said, but too many countries have neglected their public health systems:

“Part of every country’s commitment to build back better must therefore be to invest in public health, as an investment in a healthier and safer future.”

But there are countries the rest of the world can learn from, he said in his opening remarks. Here’s a summary of what he said.

7 countries to learn from

The Director-General highlighted 7 countries, amongst many, whose preparation and response offer lessons for the rest of the world.

Thailand

Thailand has benefited from 40 years of health system strengthening, he explained.

A well-resourced medical and public health system is supported by strong leadership. Coupled with 1 million village health volunteers, and strong communication, the nation has built trust and compliance and confidence among the general population, he said.

Italy

Italy was one of the first countries to experience a large outbreak outside of China, said Dr Tedros. It “took hard decisions based on the evidence and persisted with them”. Unity and solidarity, along with the dedication of health workers, helped bring the outbreak under control, he explained.

Mongolia

Mongolia also reacted quickly. It activated its State Emergency Committee in January and didn’t report a case until January and still has no reported deaths.

Mauritius

Mauritius used previous experience with contact-tracing and a swift response to overcome high-risk issues – high population density, high rate of non-communicable diseases and lots of international travellers.

Uruguay

Uruguay has one of Latin America’s most ‘robust and resilient’ health systems in Latin America, explained Dr Tedros. Sustainable investments in public health were built on political consensus, he added.

Pakistan

Pakistan has used the infrastructure it developed in its fight against polio to tackle COVID-19, said the Director-General. Community health workers, previously used to vaccinate children for polio, have been redeployed for contact tracing and monitoring

There are many other countries who’ve done well, added Dr Tedros. From Japan to New Zealand and Viet Nam, many countries have fared better because of lessons learned during previous outbreaks of disease, such as SARS or Ebola.

Having learned the lessons of previous pandemics, it’s therefore “vital that we learn the lessons this pandemic is teaching us,” he concluded.

This article was first published in World Economic Forum.


Also read: Drug-resistant fungi lurking in ICUs are infecting Covid patients, study in Delhi finds


 

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54 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Print What about China who manufactured the virus? Your nation China and Pakistan can also teach a lesson or two to India as per your opinion since you must be really nationalistic and patriotic and interested in developed China and underdeveloped India since that makes you thrive. By this time we know where your allegiance lie. Rename yourself as “Global Times In India”. Thank You.

  2. First of all Pakistan submit covid death and active cases, new cases are false like China. China had no information about no. Of test till may and suddenly show 9crore test in June month. Where other countries .. USA ,india, Russia showing their details regularly. Pak govt leaving people their own fate to live or death. No Rapid Covid test in Pakistan.

  3. Tedros I am sure is perfectly perfect!!!!
    If only he and the organization he heads had not been so callous or more vigilant, millions of livelihoods could have been saved or protected.

    As the saying goes…”after the event even the fool is wise”…. he is squeaking tons of knowledge. What does one do with so much of knowledge after the blunder has been committed?????

    The status quo ante can never be brought back.

  4. Joke of an article. Pakistan is one of the only 2 countries where Polio is still prevalent. And here in the comments section, people are “Allah Allah Allah”. I guess, Allah didn’t care enough to eradicate Polio from Pakistan. But he suddenly sprung into action seeing Covid 19.

  5. It’s strange that WHO didn’t praise its newfound master China. Both have an equal responsibility in this being a pandemic in the first place.
    Pakistan – it did nothing. Is that what they or Mr Myers want the INDIAN government to follow?

  6. How can a country like pakistan which doesn’t have basic hygiene facility be a role model ……. Something serious happened to WHO they need to check their sanity…..

  7. 7 countries population together combined will be a small % of India’s whole population. Tedros can compare india with usa and Russia but not with small counties which are at its size of a state in India geography.

  8. Fantastic to see so many “enlghtened” comments from Indians. As a Pakistani, I am reasonably happy with the response the current government has managed under some very tough conditions. First of all, the PM ensured that economic disruption does not take place by imposing a lockdown in different stages and in certain cases, limiting it to certain cities or localities that wee a hotspot. The countrywide lockdown imposed for a month in April did not bring to halt the country’s economy.

    All of this ensured that there would not be panic, especially among the most vulnerable sections of the population be that the rural migrants or the poor.

    In short, it required humanism, which is the true core of Islam (and most religions, whether they choose to focus on it or not). India indeed has much to learn from Pakistan.

    • Humanism classes from the global sponsors of terrorism and death cult called Islam. That’s a nice joke! If you think solving Covid with no testing is a “Success” then good luck to you!

      Perhaps you should show “humanism” to your own people first – like the Ahmediyas, the chiristians, the Sikhs and others ? Or perhaps show it to your own Muslims like Malala or Pakistani journalists who routinely disappear for criticizing the army or are sent to jail for the same like Jung Group.

      Perhaps your “Lectures in Humanism” can be delivered in Dhaka – they might get a good laugh there about Pakistani (Islamic) Humanism. Even in delirious self-aggrandizement you are ludicrously out of your depths.

  9. Its fun seeing everyone in our country enraged on an article appreciating pakistan lol. I mean how do y’all know ki pakistan mein kya chal raha hai kya nahi? Baat aise karte hai jaise pata nahi pravachan deke GDP sudhar loge. WAKE UP. Not saying Modiji in particular is bad. Its just that abhi ki powerful parties kisi sensible insaan ko power mein hi nahi aane deti.

  10. That’s encouraging to know..

    But can the reporter of this article/ news also throw some light on how many tests on daily basis are being done. On one hand there were news that there is a severe shortage of testing kits and / ventilators. Another news mentioning that Pak’s all-weather friend cheated them by supplying degraded quality test kits. And now we see this news !

  11. What a joke… I have been following the print for quite sometime.. after reading this article , I m sure you are biased in publishing article. U people are asking us to learn from Pakistan.. what a joke

  12. Does anyone really believe Pakistani data? Till 26th Jun, 2020 active cases in Pakistan were 54% of total and recovery was 43.7% of total. Within one month active cases reduced to 11% of total and recovery increased to 86% of total. This type of improvement is not possible unless data is cooked. Pakistan can certainly teach India how to fudge number of COVID cases.

  13. They all eat beef. Their body will remain hot, they naturally drink more water, they will have more energy and protein, have enough fat reserves to avoid malnutrition :- net result is health.
    Instead, Indians don’t eat beef and so none of the above benefits. In addition to that the Indians drink cow’s urine which is the excreta of an animal with all the poisonous substances naturally eliminated from one animal body to get themselves sick with some foolish beliefs.

    • You sound like some uneducated Mullah – eating beef makes the body hot? And naturally they drink water? Water is a cure for COVID now ? And eating beef means more energy ? Why is Arnold Schwarzeneggar now vegan then ? Does he not want energy ?? #KatwaScience

      Such total idiotic garbage by some semi-literate bumpkin. If covid is cured by eating beef – then why are Americans not cured ? Pakistanis are busy abusing animals and molesting children – perhaps those reason also cure Covid ? Do you want to try and marry your own cousin – maybe then you won’t get Covid?

    • Yes most of the Indians don’t eat beef. But it is also true that not all the indians drink cow urine. It’s an example how we generalise a community, a class and a nation.

  14. WHO and the whole world should realize that Pakistan was made in the Name of ALLAH SUBHANAHU WA TALLAH. None on this earth can undo it’s creation. Having weak economy to date still Pakistani ppl managed to get rid of this Pandamic only because of all the Blessings and Mercies of ALLAH SUBHANAHU WA TALLAH.

    The world should realize this fact that man power and all man made facilities can do nothing except the Help, Blessings and Mercies of ALLAH ALMIGHTY SUBHANAHU WA TALLAH.

    America, Europe countries , Brazil, India etc got all the facilities but they did not seek the Help of ALLAH ALMIGHTY and the outcome is pretty obvious to all.

    Let all of us Seek the Help of Creator of this Universe and it’s the Ultimate Refuge.

    Stay blessed.

    • LOL – That’s why India cancelled Art 370, imposed CAA and has responded to China with force and defiance unlike any other nation. That’s also why Chinese companies and their products are being kicked out of India, why Afghanistan peace process has gone on so well – 4 years of talks with no result! HA!

  15. What does this even mean? Some countries just assumed that they would never be able to anyway manage this disease and halved and reduced testing even further. That saves money. They started to categorise their fatalities under different headings, not as COVID deaths. They did nothing to fight against the social stigma due to COVID, allowing people to just bury their dead relatives under “natural causes”. All these are why Pakistan has reduced it’s prevalence of COVID 19, should India ever follow such policies of mostly autocratic govts?

  16. Jaant brabr test kr rha h pakistan… Hmare 06 crore ho jayenge kal tak aur unke 30 lakh b nhi huye… Test km kroge to case bhi km aayenge aur ha jaantu sa country h Apne UP se bhi chota. UP m hi 75lac test ho chuke h.. saayd test kit kridhne k liye paise nhi h pakistan k pass

  17. I think, it was totally MERCY of ALLAH and nothing else at all. We neither used masks/sanitizers nor kept social distancing. On the contrary we laughed, joked over Corona.

  18. Writer of this article seems to be a Buffon. Is he getting money from China for writing this bullshit. Pakistan hahahaha. Either they are hiding case like they hid the death of terrorists from Indian surgical strike-2 or they are gagging on China’s for support.

  19. Haha who is stooge of China and Pakistan is friend of China so it’s obvious.It’s the biggest joke that Pakistan is a role model

  20. Before all that Tedros should be honest and speak without any pressure from powerful countries. He mislead world by saying fabricated quotes from China. And When it comes to Pakistan , it’s surprising how they have fared well considering polio hasn’t been eradicated in Pakistan yet completely. Can we trust numbers of China and Pakistan ? I mean if it’s true then they both deserve to be appreciated but seriously there is a big “IF” .

  21. See we are ready to fight all task Covid 19 it’s nothing to Bharat ok keep watching over death’s but one day day we defeated you all

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