Latest news with #SaniaNishtar
The Star
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
How effective are emergency vaccines during outbreaks?
Doctors Without Borders (also known by its French acronym MSF) staff disinfecting body bags containing deceased Ebola patients with chlorine before they are incinerated in a crematorium during the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. This was before the Ebola vaccine was available. — MSF filepic Emergency vaccination during outbreaks of diseases like cholera, Ebola and measles have over the past quarter-century reduced deaths from such illnesses by nearly 60%, according to a new study. A similar number of infections are also believed to have been prevented, while billions of euros have been generated in estimated economic benefit. The Gavi vaccine alliance, which backed the study, said it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to provide the world's first look at the historical impact of emergency immunisation efforts on public health and global health security. 'For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases,' Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement. 'This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks.' The study, published on July 12 (2025) in the British Medical Journal ( BMJ ) Global Health , examined 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases – cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever – in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023. Vaccine roll-outs in these settings had a dramatic impact, with the study showing they reduced both the number of infections and deaths by almost 60% across the five diseases. For some of the diseases, the effect was far more dramatic. Vaccination was shown to decrease deaths during yellow fever outbreaks by a full 99%, and 76% for Ebola. At the same time, emergency vaccination significantly reduced the threat of outbreaks expanding. It also estimated that the immunisation efforts carried out during the 210 outbreaks generated nearly US$32bil (RM136bil) in economic benefits just from averting deaths and years of life lost to disability. That amount was however likely to be a significant underestimate of overall savings, it said, pointing out that it did not take into account outbreak response costs or the social and macro-economic impacts of disruptions created by large outbreaks. The massive Ebola outbreak that hit West Africa in 2014 before the existence of approved vaccines, for instance, saw cases pop up worldwide and is estimated to have cost the West African countries alone more than US$53bil (RM225bil). The study comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in April (2025) that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid. Gavi, which helps vaccinate more than half the world's children against infectious diseases, is itself currently trying to secure a fresh round of funding in the face of the global aid cuts and after the US government announced last month that it would stop backing the group. – AFP
Business Recorder
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Reserved seat quota recalculation at belated stage not supported by law: ECP
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared that the recalculation of quota for reserved seats at belated stage after allocation or reserved seats to the political parties is not supported by the Constitution and law. 'The rationale for calculation of quota for the reserved seats on the basis of party position on 22-02-2025 was to avoid unending controversies. For example, if a political party succeeds in getting more seats as a result of recounting or by-election or decision of the tribunal, the quota will be revised again and again and it will be an unending process which is against the spirit of Constitution and Law…', reads the written order in the reserved seats case, issued by a five-member ECP full bench on Tuesday. The bench rejected the petitions of Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP) for the reallocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (KPA). The bench also directed that the name of one Malik Tariq Awan be included for the 'purpose of calculation of quota and allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims to the political party (PML-N) joined by him in the Provincial Assembly of KP within prescribed period.' In connection with the reserved seats case, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) submitted 21 nominations for KPA. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) submitted 15 nominations, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 14 nominations, ANP 11 nominations and PTIP has submitted 10 nominations to the ECP for KPA reserved seats. The allocation of reserved seats on the part of ECP on 2 July, in pursuance of the apex court's 27 June order, suggested that PML-N received the largest chunk of 43 reserved seats, followed by 15 reserved seats having gone to PPP, and 12 seats to JUI-F, as the poll body has allotted a total of 74 of 77 reserved seats to other political parties in four Assemblies. In KPA, of the 25 allotted seats, comprising 21 women and four non-Muslim seats, JUI-F received 10 seats (eight women, two non-Muslims), PML-N got seven reserved seats (six women and a non-Muslim), PPP also got seven reserved seats (six women and a non-Muslim), and ANP received a woman seat. Apart from that, Senate elections are taking place on seven general seats, two women seats and two technocrats' seats of KP on 21st July. In addition, the election on a Senate woman seat from KP, that fell vacant following the resignation of Sania Nishtar from PTI, would be held on 31 July. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Al-Ahram Weekly
15-07-2025
- Health
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Emergency vaccines slash deaths by 60%: Study - Health - Life & Style
A similar number of infections are also believed to have been prevented, while billions of euros have been generated in estimated economic benefit. The Gavi vaccine alliance, which backed the study, said it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to provide the world's first look at the historical impact of emergency immunization efforts on public health and global health security. 'For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases,' Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement. 'This study demonstrates clearly the power of vaccines as a cost-effective countermeasure to the increasing risk the world faces from outbreaks.' The study, published this week in the British Medical Journal Global Health, examined 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases — cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever — in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023. Vaccine roll-outs in these settings had a dramatic impact, with the study showing they reduced both the number of infections and deaths by almost 60 percent across the five diseases. For some of the diseases the effect was far more dramatic. Vaccination was shown to decrease deaths during yellow fever outbreaks by a full 99 percent, and 76 percent for Ebola. At the same time, emergency vaccination significantly reduced the threat of outbreaks expanding. It also estimated that the immunization efforts carried out during the 210 outbreaks generated nearly $32 billion in economic benefits just from averting deaths and years of life lost to disability. That amount was however likely to be a significant underestimate of overall savings, it said, pointing out that it did not take into account outbreak response costs or the social and macro-economic impacts of disruptions created by large outbreaks. The massive Ebola outbreak that hit West Africa in 2014, before the existence of approved vaccines, for instance saw cases pop up worldwide and is estimated to have cost the West African countries alone more than $53 billion. The study comes after the WHO warned in April that outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are on the rise globally amid misinformation and cuts to international aid. Gavi, which helps vaccinate more than half the world's children against infectious diseases, is itself currently trying to secure a fresh round of funding in the face of the global aid cuts and after Washington last month announced it would stop backing the group. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Emergency vaccines slash deaths by 60%
Emergency vaccination during outbreaks of diseases like cholera, Ebola and measles have over the past quarter-century reduced deaths from such illnesses by nearly 60%, according to a new study. A similar number of infections are also believed to have been prevented, while billions of euros have been generated in estimated economic benefit. The Gavi vaccine alliance , which backed the study, said it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to provide the world's first look at the historical impact of emergency immunisation efforts on public health and global health security. "For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases ," Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement. The study, published this week in the British Medical Journal Global Health, examined 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases - cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever - in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023. Vaccine roll-outs in these settings had a dramatic impact, with the study showing they reduced both the number of infections and deaths by almost 60% across five diseases.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Emergency vaccines slash deaths by 60%
Representative image Emergency vaccination during outbreaks of diseases like cholera, Ebola and measles have over the past quarter-century reduced deaths from such illnesses by nearly 60%, according to a new study. A similar number of infections are also believed to have been prevented, while billions of euros have been generated in estimated economic benefit. The Gavi vaccine alliance , which backed the study, said it collaborated with researchers at Burnet Institute in Australia to provide the world's first look at the historical impact of emergency immunisation efforts on public health and global health security. 'For the first time, we are able to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms, of deploying vaccines against outbreaks of some of the deadliest infectious diseases ,' Gavi chief Sania Nishtar said in a statement. The study, published this week in the British Medical Journal Global Health, examined 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases- cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever, in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023. Vaccine rollouts in these settings had a dramatic impact, with the study showing they reduced both the number of infections and deaths by almost 60% across five diseases.
