Pakistan Introduces Single-Use Syringes as it Battles Fast-Rising HIV/AIDS Infections

16/06/2021 Rahul Basharat Rajput & Muhammed Nadeem Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD – Faced with one of the sharpest increases in HIV/AIDS rates in Asia, Pakistan will ban the manufacture and import of conventional syringes from next month, government officials have told Health Policy Watch. The move is in an effort to stem a three-year increase in HIV cases – 39% of which are estimated to […] Continue reading ->

Pakistan Quietly Suspends Vaccination Of Healthcare Workers – Then Abruptly Resumes Following Media Queries

21/04/2021 Rahul Basharat Rajput & Muhammed Nadeem Chaudhry

Islamabad, Pakistan: Even as Pakistan faced an intense third wave of COVID-19, health authorities ‘silently’ suspended vaccination registration for its frontline Healthcare Workers (HCWs) for more than a month – ostensibly because of low registration and concerns about fake registrations. But following queries by Health Policy Watch on Monday, Ministry of Health officials suddenly did […] Continue reading ->

Exclusive: Outcry Over Pakistan’s Unprecedented Plan To Sell COVID Vaccines On Private Market – Now On Hold Over Price Dispute

26/03/2021 Rahul Basharat Rajput & Muhammed Nadeem Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD – (EXCLUSIVE) A controversial plan to sell Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to wealthy citizens in Pakistan has been put on hold following a dispute between the government and the private pharmaceutical company involved over the vaccines’ sale price, Health Policy Watch has learned. Meanwhile, Transparency International – Pakistan appealed to Prime Minister Imran […] Continue reading ->

Pakistan Threatens Health Workers: Get the Chinese-donated vaccine or get fired!

16/03/2021 Rahul Basharat Rajput & Muhammed Nadeem Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan authorities are threatening to fire healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated with the Chinese-donated SinoPharm COVID-19 vaccine. In a harshly worded letter, , the Directorate of Health Services in Sindh warns frontline health care workers that reluctance to get the jab will result in “strict disciplinary action” including suspension or dismissal […] Continue reading ->

Global Fund Investigating Karachi Private Hospital For US$ 4.2 Million In Misallocations Of TB Funds

26/02/2021 Rahul Basharat Rajput & Muhammed Nadeem Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – EXCLUSIVE – The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Pakistan’s Health Ministry are investigating a private sector hospital in Karachi for alleged mismanagement of some US$ 4.2 million in Global Fund funds allocated to the country for tuberculosis elimination (TB) activities. The Indus Hospital (TIH), the principal recipient of […] Continue reading ->