Inexpensive public health measures can help fore fend millions of avoidable deaths

Lahore: Inexpensive public health measures can help fore fend millions of avoidable deaths, and save many from terminal as well as infectious diseases and disabilities, a leading hospital said.

Lives of almost half of all the children dying of diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and infectious diseases in Pakistan can be saved by employing cost-effective public health steps, it said.

Increased focus on public health backed by organized efforts can help prevent lot of diseases, prolong life, promote physical and mental healthiness and save billions in healthcare costs, said  Lieutenant General (Retd) Hamid Nawaz, President Al-Shifa Trust.

Speaking to the first batch of the students enrolled in the newly-initiated Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), he said that the hospital has taken the step with an aim to improve the health and quality of life of the people which will result in increased life expectancy, reduction in infant mortality, improve survival rate of mothers and shrink many communicable diseases.

Lt. Gen (Retd) Hamid Nawaz said that public health is an exciting and growing field which challenges its professionals to confront complex issues like improving access to health care, controlling infectious disease, and reducing risks and environmental hazards etc.

The non-pharmaceutical interventions offers great personal satisfaction which can be ensured by devoting all the energies for the service of humanity in the practical life, he said.

He added that prevention of health problems before they occur will save masses from medical errors, wrongly diagnoses and irrational use of medicine causing unnecessary harm.

Hamid Nawaz said that Quaid-e-Azam University affiliated two-year MSPH will produce highly skilled public health professionals who will attempt to improve the health of the people, surveillance of communicable and non-communicable diseases, monitoring and evaluation of health projects, analyse health care policy problems.

They will also explore the cultural landscape of public health in society and promote healthy behaviours by fixing wrong cultural beliefs at individual, community and social levels.he added.

The promotion of hand washing, breastfeeding, nutrition and vaccinations are the examples of common public health measures, he said.

Speaking at the occasion, other experts said that public health has gained importance due to growing outbreaks of epidemics and increasing complaints of over medication, unnecessary tests and surgeries, irrational medicine use.

Calling for low-cost solutions, they said that Pakistan was in need of a solid foundation for public health practices.