ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz on Tuesday urged the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) and scientists in general to play their role in countering the disinformation campaigns related to public health and global health security.
Speaking at a workshop webinar “Pandemic Preparedness: Science and Countermeasures” organized by Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), the federal minister stated that overabundance of information makes it difficult for people to identify truthful and trustworthy sources from false or misleading ones.
Pakistan was facing different challenges as compared to the developed world as on one hand we had to control the pandemic and on other we could not afford shutting the country down and leaving people to die of hunger.
In this situation, the government policy of “Smart lockdown” worked successfully and was appreciated internationally, he said.
Shibli Faraz appreciated different segments of the society like religious leaders, academia and philanthropists for helping us to cater the situation.
He pointed out that among the most pressing issues in preparing for the global response to a pandemic are the design, development, manufacture, and dissemination of vaccines.
The response to this pandemic has shown that when leading vaccine manufacturers are fully engaged in a global response, it might be possible for them to manufacture substantial doses of vaccine on timelines faster than previously envisioned.
It is heartening to note that even Africa has planned to enhance their vaccine production capacity from 1% to 60 % by 2040, he said.
He assured that the Ministry of Science and Technology will welcome any such effort in Pakistan.
“I am sure that through events like this we will learn an enormous amount from the policies, technologies, and financing strategies used to have better diagnostic techniques and produce COVID-19 vaccines”.
“These lessons will be critical to inform emergency global vaccine manufacturing; diagnosis and therapeutics efforts in the future”, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, President PAS, Prof. Khalid Mahmood Khan appreciated efforts of Association of Academy of Sciences of Asia (AASSA) for supporting PAS for organizing this important event.
He said that Pakistan as responsible nation is doing all that is possible to prevent spread of this deadly virus.
Prof. Yoo Hang Kim (President AASSA) from Korea reiterated his support to PAS for holding such event and containing corona virus and Pakistan is mentioned as a success story in the world for reducing the deadly effect as compared to its neighboring countries.
Prof. Dato Dr. Khairul Anuar Bin Abdullah highlighted issues related to vaccine and its equitable access by all including the least developed countries.
Secretary General PAS, Prof. Tasawar Hayat thanked all the speakers and participants for their input and announced that PAS will publish a special issue on the proceedings of current workshop and a policy document as to how to respond to avoid any such pandemic in future.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Zabta Khan Shinwari said that what emerges next will partly depend on the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2, on the behaviour of citizens and on governments’ decisions about how to respond to the pandemic.
It will also depend on the progress in vaccine development and treatments and also in a broader range of disciplines in the sciences and humanities that focus both on bringing this pandemic to an end and learning how to reduce the impacts of future zoonoses, and on the extent to which the international community can stand together in its efforts to control COVID-19.
Many factors will determine the overall outcome of the pandemic.
A nationalistic rather than global approach to vaccine delivery is not only morally wrong but will also delay any return to a level of “normality” (including relaxed border controls) because no country can be safe until all countries are safe, he stressed.