World Health Day: Pakistan’s health facilities still in poor condition

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Patients and scores of families continue to live through poor medical facilities in government hospitals as the World Health Organisation (WHO) marks annual World Health Day today.

The number of government hospitals in Rawalpindi comes nowhere near to match the population of people.

Non-availability of medicines and lack of medical test facilities adds to the woes.

In addition to the locals, medics at the hospitals seem to have resentment towards the government. Reportedly, a scanty number of doctors at different hospitals is another issue.

The theme of this year’s World Health Day is awareness about Diabetes. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of diabetic people in the world has quadrupled since 1980.

Statistics show that developing countries have the highest number of diabetics. A press release issued Wednesday from Geneva stated that around 422 million people are suffering from the condition.

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“WHO is marking its annual World Health Day (7 April), which celebrates the Organization’s founding in 1948, by issuing a call for action on diabetes. In its first “Global report on diabetes”, WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease.”

Some of the key findings from WHO’s “global report on diabetes” include that the number of patients is increasing across the board in all regions of the world. Diabetes is having major socioeconomic impacts, especially in developing countries.

The findings also report that in 2014, more than one in every three adults above 18 years of age was overweight. Diabetes was reported to be the sole cause of at least 1.5 million deaths in 2012.  The organisation stated that obesity is one of the factors that have instigated the dramatic rise.

World Health Day is used to draw attention to different health situations around the globe that need countermeasures.

The day also marks the founding of World Health Organisation in 1948.

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