Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iltaf Hussain, Abdul Majeed, Imran Masood, Waseem Ashraf, Imran Imran, Hamid Saeed, Anees Ur Rehman, Furqan K. Hashmi, Fahad Saleem, Muqarrab Akbar, Muhammad Omer Chaudhry, Jamshid Ullah, Muhammad Fawad Rasool
Summary: This study examined the awareness of breast cancer among female university students in Pakistan and found that their knowledge regarding risk factors, signs and symptoms, and breast examination was significantly lacking.
Article
Parasitology
Waqas Ahmad, Muhammad Ahsan Naeem, Qaiser Akram, Sarfraz Ahmad, Muhammad Younus
Summary: Rabies is a neglected endemic disease in Pakistan, with major issues including epidemiological investigations, prophylactic measures, population control of wandering dogs, public awareness, government interventions, and diagnostic surveillance. To address these problems, actions such as supplying low-cost vaccines, mass dog vaccination, enforcing responsible animal ownership, implementing a One Health approach, and establishing diagnostic labs with surveillance mechanisms are needed.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amna Saeed, Krizzia Lambojon, Hamid Saeed, Zikria Saleem, Naveed Anwer, Muhammad Majid Aziz, Wenjing Ji, Wenchen Liu, Chen Chen, Caijun Yang, Yu Fang, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
Summary: In Pakistan, both public and private sectors face challenges in providing affordable and accessible insulin to the population. Despite the availability of various insulin products in the market, none met the ideal benchmark of 80% availability. Measures such as optimizing procurement, promoting local production, and providing financial subsidies are suggested to improve insulin access in the country.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Amber Kunkel, Gabriella Veytsel, Sarah Bonaparte, Haillie Meek, Xiaoyue Ma, Amy J. Davis, Jesse Bonwitt, Ryan M. Wallace
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the historical definition of rabies-free counties, propose improvements, and develop a model for estimating the probability of terrestrial rabies freedom and reported county-level cases. The analysis of data from the National Rabies Surveillance System showed that the historical definition is reasonable for identifying counties without raccoon and skunk rabies transmission. The rabies prediction model presented in the study can measure different levels of risk. However, even counties with a high probability of freedom should maintain rabies testing capacity due to potential changes in epidemiology.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Omid Dadras, Takeo Nakayama, Masahiro Kihara
Summary: This study aimed to describe migration patterns and their association with reproductive and maternal care among married Pakistani women aged 15-49. The findings suggest that internal migration, particularly to urban areas, could be associated with better access to reproductive and maternity care. However, after adjusting for sociodemographic inequalities, this association is greatly attenuated. Therefore, policy reform and women's rights advocacy are needed to improve education levels for young Pakistani girls.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amna Saeed, Faria Saeed, Hamid Saeed, Zikria Saleem, Caijun Yang, Jie Chang, Minghuan Jiang, Mingyue Zhao, Muhammad Saqlain, Wenjing Ji, Muhammad Majid Aziz, Krizzia Lambojon, Ali Hassan Gillani, Khezar Hayat, Sabiha Gul, Yu Fang, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
Summary: This national survey in Pakistan revealed low availability of cardiovascular disease medicines in both public and private sectors, with high prices that pose a significant burden on the lowest paid government workers. Compared to other low and middle income countries, the affordability of standard cardiovascular drug treatment in Pakistan was found to be low.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Milton Mapatse, Ernest Ngoepe, Darrell Abernethy, Jose Manuel Fafetine, Iolanda Anahory, Claude Sabeta
Summary: This study assessed the level of rabies virus antibodies in dogs in Limpopo National Park and genetically characterized the rabies viruses found. The results showed low levels of antibodies against rabies virus in this dog population.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Mustafa Ali Khan, Hamna Shahbaz, Ali Aahil Noorali, Anam Noor Ehsan, Mareeha Zaki, Fahham Asghar, Mohammed Moizul Hassan, Haroon Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Sohaib, Muhammad Ali Asghar, Muhammad Faisal Khan, Amber Sabeen, Masooma Aqeel, Muhammad Haroon Khan, Tahir Munir, Syed Kashif Amin, Huba Atiq, Adil Hussain Haider, Zainab Samad, Asad Latif
Summary: This article conducted cross-sectional surveys on hospitals providing COVID-19 care in Pakistan and found that the critical care network in Pakistan is underdeveloped, with significant inequity between public-private and metropolitan-rural strata.
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Jill Jin
Summary: Rabies is a serious viral infection disease, with common symptoms such as pain at the bite site, fever, headache, and muscle stiffness. Timely vaccination and prevention measures are crucial to avoid infection.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hangyu Li, Yanjiao Li, Yue Chen, Bo Chen, Qing Su, Yi Hu, Chenglong Xiong
Summary: This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal variation and nonmedical ecological factors of rabies in China. The annual incidence data from 2004 to 2019 revealed an increasing trend followed by a gradual decline in most provinces. Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, and Hainan were identified as high-risk provinces, while Yunnan and Anhui showed an increased risk in recent years. Temperature and per capita gross domestic product were significantly correlated with the disease risk. The study suggests the need for interventions, especially in the six provinces with unsatisfactory control progress.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Imtiaz Hussain, Ahmad Khan, Dale A. Rhoda, Imran Ahmed, Muhammad Umer, Uzair Ansari, Muhammad Akram Shah, Soofia Yunus, Jennifer Brustrom, Robert Oelrichs, Sajid Bashir Soofi, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
Summary: The survey reports the national and provincial/regional coverage and determinants of immunization coverage for children in Pakistan. Results show that the coverage of fully vaccinated children nationally is 76.5%. The main reasons for non-vaccination include lack of faith in immunization, rumors about vaccines, and distance to the facility. Immediate and long-term actions are needed to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, such as integrated immunization campaigns, outreach activities, and behavioral interventions to improve awareness and reduce misconceptions.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Saira Afzal, Mehreen Nasir, Muhammad Nasir Bhaya, Khunsa Junaid, Amber Arshad, Muhammad Zeeshan Raza, Muhammad Amjad Ali, Waqas Ahmad, Sandul Yasobant
Summary: Rabies, a neglected tropical disease by WHO, causes thousands of deaths annually in underprivileged communities in Africa and Asia. This literature review aims to analyze the factors contributing to the endemic status of dog-mediated human rabies in Pakistan. Lack of public awareness, free-roaming dogs, and mismanagement of vaccinations are the main factors responsible for the increasing number of dog bite injuries and suspected rabies cases. Pakistan needs to initiate a national One Health project, provide subsidized vaccines, and establish affordable rabies prevention centers.
PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Matthew Quaife, Sergio Torres-Rueda, Zlatina Dobreva, Kevin van Zandvoort, Christopher I. Jarvis, Amy Gimma, Wahaj Zulfiqar, Muhammad Khalid, Anna Vassall
Summary: This study conducted a nationally representative survey in Pakistan to measure vaccination perceptions and social contacts. The survey found that although nearly half of the respondents expressed willingness to get vaccinated, vaccine hesitancy was higher, especially in Sindh and Baluchistan provinces and among respondents of lower socioeconomic status.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Waleed Tariq, Muhammad Anas Tahseen Asar, Muhammad Junaid Tahir, Irfan Ullah, Qasid Ahmad, Ahmad Raza, Mohsin Khalid Qureshi, Ali Ahmed, Muhammad Zarak Sarwar, Muhammad Atif Ameer, Kaleem Ullah, Haziq Siddiqi, Muhammad Sohaib Asghar
Summary: This study aims to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of telemedicine in the general population of Pakistan, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on telemedicine awareness. The results showed that although many participants had heard about telemedicine, their understanding of its definition was not clear and most of them had not used telemedicine before the pandemic. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed people's attitudes towards telemedicine. In conclusion, increasing awareness and developing appropriate infrastructure are necessary to maximize the benefits of telehealth services.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Muhammad Ammar Amjad, Athar Mukhtar Siddiqui, Khalid Bashir, Ateeq Ur Rehman Ghafoor, Romana Shaida Durrani
Summary: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic pain, its physical and psychosocial impact, and the therapies adopted to alleviate pain. A telephone survey was conducted at a cancer hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, involving patients with chronic pain. The survey revealed a high level of unawareness on pain management among the Pakistani citizens.
JOURNAL OF THE PAKISTAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
