Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Thursday said Pakistan is facing many serious challenges in the health sector and one of them is “severe deficiency of Vitamin-D” as according to some estimates, around 85 percent of Pakistani population is facing deficiency of this super vitamin.
“It is an alarming situation where around 85 percent of Pakistani population is facing Vitamin-D deficiency, which is exposing them to various communicable and non-communicable diseases. In this situation, establishment of a Vitamin-D Academy in the country is a right step in the right direction”, the Governor said while speaking at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishment of Pakistan’s first Vitamin-D Academy at University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore.
An MoU was signed on the occasion between University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore, Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine (PSIM) and local Pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo Limited for the establishment of country’s first Vitamin-D Academy to train physicians and healthcare providers about importance of the essential vitamin and disseminate knowledge about its role in prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The Punjab Governor maintained that Vitamin-D deficiency has remained a neglected area despite numerous studies highlighting its importance in the growth of children and prevention of people from several diseases as well as its role in treatment, saying its deficiency should be given equal importance along with diabetes, hypertension and obesity in the country.
Consenting to be the “patron of newly-established Academy”, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said there was an urgent need for interaction between provinces on positive initiatives and vowed to visit Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta for launch of initiatives like this on national level to provide maximum benefit to the entire nation.
“We should rise above the politics and help each other. Every province of Pakistan has something to offer and I’m willing to become a bridge between our provinces and federating units. I remain in touch with CMs and Governors of other provinces and would soon visit Sindh, KP and Balochistan to take this idea of Vitamin D Academy to national level”, he added.
On the occasion, he played tremendous tribute to frontline healthcare workers who are serving the nation in the time of pandemic and prayed for those who embraced martyrdom due to infectious disease, urging people to follow SOPs as beds with oxygen were almost filled in Punjab while a shortage of medicines and other essential items was also being witnessed due to burden on the healthcare system.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor UHS Prof. Dr. Javed Akram said COVID-19 had not only exposed Pakistani nation’s Vitamin D deficiency but also provided an opportunity to become a healthier society by overcoming the deficiency of this super vitamin and other micronutrients.
“Studies conducted by us at UHS has revealed that low Vitamin D levels not only increase the chances of getting infected with COVID-19 but chances of having severe disease also increase manifolds. We have found that death rate tipples among people with severe Vitamin D Deficiency”, Prof. Javed Akram added.
Hinting at using the Vitamin D during clinical trials of upcoming vaccines against COVID-19, he said this academy provide would new techniques and knowledge in the treatment of infectious and non-communicable diseases.
The UHS Vice Chancellor maintained that Governor Punjab wants not only his province to be free of Vitamin D deficiency but also likes to spread this initiative to other provinces and federating units.
He said at the Vitamin-D Academy, national guidelines on the administration of doses of this important vitamin would be prepared in consultation with national and international health experts while physicians would be trained from entire Pakistan to use this effective supplement in prevention and treatment.
Managing Director Pharmevo, Haroom Qassim said as around 1 billion people were facing Vitamin-D deficiency in the world, especially in the South Asia, they were launching the Vitamin-D Academy to initiate research in this important micronutrient and train the physicians on its importance for human body.
“The Vitamin-D academy is one of the several initiatives of Pharmevo as we believe in creating a healthier society through dissemination of knowledge”, he added.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pharmevo Syed Jamshed Ahmed said following establishment of Vitamin-D academy, they had plans to create Diabetes, Hypertension and Hepatitis academies as these diseases were also endemic in the country and need local research for the local solutions.
“We believe in promoting knowledge and enhanced collaboration between industry and academic to provide cost-effective health solutions to people of Pakistan”, Syed Jamshed Ahmed added.
The ceremony was also addressed by General Secretary PSIM Dr. Somia Iqtedar who termed it another milestone for the PSIM in the area of research, saying their experts from entire Pakistan would be part of this initiative to help the authorities in meeting the challenges of health in the country.
Others including Dr. Ansa Akram, Prof. Aftab Mohsin, Prof. Bilal Mohyi Ud Din, Dr. Syed Mehfooz Alam, Prof. Intikhab Alam, Dr. Syed Abbass Raza, Prof. Tayyiba Waseem, Prof. Ayesha Habib and Prof. Dr. Abdul Baqi also shared their remarks on Vitamin D Academy initiative while complete multidisciplinary advisory committee consists of 21 members at national level.
