Pakistan should heed the WHO warning
Country must follow a robust tracing, testing and quarantine policy
The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has risen at an alarming rate since the government has opened the lockdown. With an average of more than 100 deaths and around 7,000 daily cases, Pakistan continues to exhibit a high positivity rate of 24 per cent — above the required level of 5 per cent — while the surveillance system to trace contacts is weak.
In a recent letter, World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that Pakistan is not meeting any of the prerequisites for opening the lockdown because the cases have jumped to 125,900 with 2,463 deaths, bringing Pakistan in the list of top 10 most affected Covid-19 countries in the world. Peak has not hit the country yet, as only 809,169 people out of total population of 220 million have so far been tested for coronavirus.
The WHO also warned that country needs to take strategic decisions to implement public health measures that ensure economic prosperity, human rights, and food security. It recommended the policy of intermittent lockdown — two weeks-on and two weeks-off lockdown — as it will help the most chance of continuing economic activities while ensuring public health.
Nevertheless, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan does not fully agree with WHO’s warnings. Instead, he said that the country was saved because a complete and extended lockdown was not enforced. He believed that the situation in Pakistan is a lot better than other parts of the world.
Imran says that more people will die of hunger than Covid-19 infection because of lack of economic activities. More than two-third of the population depend on daily incomes. The country, the prime minister says, has taken a sovereign decision in the best interest of its people.
Agreed, but Pakistan needs to take tough policies to strike a balance between lives and livelihoods. There needs to be a comprehensive and coherent federal policy to enforce SOPs (standard operating procedures) across the country, setting aside political differences in the country.
With limited hospital resources and strained health care system, Pakistan must take tough measures to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic. The best way to do this is to follow the recommendations of the WHO and create public awareness.