Infections a major source of mortality

[Naveed Yaseen]

According to scientific research, the diseases that develop through infections become a major reason of deaths in the world. One could become victim to chronic diseases by neglecting minor things in daily living and the people, who have an understanding of science, are the only ones who realise how imperative it is to adopt health precautions in daily life.

These were the points raised by health experts at a seminar, “Controlling Dirty Hands, Promoting Human Health” organised under the auspices of the Science Dean of the University of Karachi (KU) at the council room on Tuesday. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ikhtaq Ahmad, Dean Faculty of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Dr. Khursheed Hashmi (DOW) and member of the Biological Safety Association of Pakistan, Sikander Sherwani were amongst the speakers.

Dr Ikhlaq Ahmed said that being Muslims we know that “Cleanliness is half of the faith.” One should keep him/herself clean even the place of sleep should be clean. He emphasized that the Institute of Environmental Studies at KU needed to work on scientific foundations of environmental pollution so that awareness could be created amongst citizens.

Dr Shahana Urooj said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had made the five-rupee note defunct since it was spreading diseases. She laid stress on the importance of washing hands not only after eating but also before that. Similarly, people do not wash hands ‘before’ going to the wash room that is also not right, she emphasized.

In the recent past, a team was constituted under the supervision of Dr Shahana Urooj and Sikander Sherwani that took the hand impressions of citizens in different localities of Karachi during one whole week. The findings of the team were presented in the seminar, which showed that the fingers and hands of the citizens were polluted.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=141151