STRIVE Trust launches ‘Vision 2025 – A World Free of Disability’

ISLAMABAD: The STRIVE Trust Islamabad on Saturday, organised a symposium on “Eradication of Disability”. The purpose of the event was to launch “Vision 2025 – A World Free of Disability”. The STRIVE team members, Dr Nisar and Dr Misbah Ghaus launched Project 3S that aims to focus on the elimination of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal cord injury and stroke – three of the most common diseases that impair physical mobility in Pakistan.

“Project 3S envisions a diverse approach that aims to maximise data collection, influencing policy change and building a virtual network of all stakeholders within, and outside Pakistan to help realise its target by the end of 2025,” said Dr Nisar.

Dr Ansar Rapot shared with the audience, the policy plan to achieve Project 3S’s goals by speaking about smaller milestones that need to be reached prior to achieving bigger objectives with focus, and help from “Artificial Intelligence” (AI).

Federal minister for power, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari graced the occasion as the chief guest. While addressing the participants of the gathering, he stressed upon the collative collaboration of all the stakeholders to make Pakistan a disability-free country.

“We are ready to assist STRIVE in the mainstreaming of drugs needed for the treatment of spinal cord injuries in Pakistan as the first step to materialise their goal of eradicating disability,” said Leghari.

Chairman of the national assembly’s Standing Committee on Education, Col (r) Amirullah Marwat said that the current parliament has completed 4 years of its tenure, but has not done anything for the rights of the disabled.

Former deputy speaker national assembly, Faisal Kareem Kundi expressed his desire to take the vision of eradicating disability from the world at par to other countries of the world.

“The vision of eradicating disability is in which we all are together, irrespective of our political affiliations,” he said.

Senator Sehar Kamran while speaking to the audience, advised effective policy making for the rights of the community’s deprived-off segments. Asrhaf Gujjar, ex-candidate of NA-48 said that now is the time to include the rehabilitation of the disabled in the manifestos of the country’s political parties.

The STRIVE Trust chairman, Muhammad Yasir Khan while speaking at the occasion shared his motivation behind the noble cause and the Project 3S for the eradication of disability from the country by 2025.

“When I tried to talk about bringing the cure of spinal cord injuries to Pakistan, the response was, ‘let China and India copy the formula and then it will be available in Pakistan’,” he added.

On this occasion, STRIVE also announced the launching of its volunteer network, mobile applications for data collection, and the organising of an international conference on the eradication of disability.

Trustee Barrister Muhammad bin Majid highlighted the rights of the differently-abled as per the UN Convention.

Majid Qureshi, the Rotary Club chairman said that he would be available in both personal as well official capacities to assist achieving the intended outcomes of STRIVE’s Project 3S.

Dr Anum Rajput, a wheelchair-bound practicing psychiatrist at CMH Muzaffarabad, shared the story of her struggle, to motivate others.  Dr Ansar Rajpoot and Abu Bakar Siddique from the Capital University of Science and Technology signed an MOU with STRIVE for the eradication of disability by the year 2025.

The launch was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, signifying Pakistan’s official commencement of the eradication of disability, and the auction of paintings by several volunteers and students. The raised amount will be used to finance free medical camps and reach other smaller milestones of the Project 3S.  The management then expressed its gratefulness to all the participants, particularly the volunteers from various universities, who had worked hard for the launching ceremony of STRIVE’s Project 3S.