Our constitution doesn’t have clauses related to education, health: Dr. Jaffar Naqvi

KARACHI: Co-founder of the Kidney Foundation, Doctor Jaffar Naqvi has expressed disappointment for not having a law related to education and health.

Addressing to a seminar in University of Karachi, Naqvi said “There are some certain people who have taken maximum advantage of the situation. We definitely lack in education sector and as illiteracy rate is still high, the opportunists used to take benefit of lack of awareness among masses.”

“As majority of people living in this society do not know about their fundamental rights, they do not get facilities which they truly deserve. This is the responsibility of provincial and federal governments to provide quality health facilities to public,” he said.

The KU Students’ Advisor Office’s Civic and Social Responsibility in collaboration with the Kidney Foundation had arranged the event in the Arts and Social Sciences Auditorium on World Kidney Day.

Naqvi mentioned that we only spent 0.7 percent of our GDP on health and since 1947 no significant change has been occurred in this regard. “As far as I know, education sector only gets 1.09 percent of the GDP.”

He shared with audience that there could be no awareness possible without education and health sector could not be improved without proper education. He demanded that governments must increase the allocation of budgets for education and health sectors and duly spend all the money to bring visible and effective changes in these two sectors.

He urged the students to launch campaigns so that governments should move forward and includes betterment and improvement in education and health sectors and they must also provide ample of funds in this regard.

He pointed out that diabetic and high blood pressure are two major causes of kidney diseases and walk is very essential to reduce the chances diabetic and high blood pressure. A person should also avoid smoking and use less salt as well as keep body weights under control.

Meanwhile, Shehnaz Ahmad of Kidney Foundation through her presentation informed the audience that diabetic is on the rise around the world and as per World Health Organization report, underdeveloped countries are more effective with diabetic issue and 170.7 million people were found diabetic in 2000 but in 2003 the figure was 370 million and 5.2 million Pakistani had diabetes in 2000 and our country would be at fourth rank in 2030 if we do not make necessary attempts to control it.

She mentioned that out of 33 persons with diabetes, eight people could likely get kidney related problems within 10 years and that is why we have to adopt precautionary measures as this is very serious situation.

The Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, KU, Professor Doctor Nargis, mentioned that around 850 million around the world are facing different types of kidney diseases due to various reasons.  As many as 2.4 million people lost their lives across the globe in a year owing to chronic kidney diseases.

She said that this has become sixth fastest growing major cause of death and acute kidney injury as important driver of the chronic kidney diseases affects over 13 million people worldwide and 85 percent of these cases are found in low and middle-income countries. Around 1.7 million people are estimated to die annually because of acute kidney injury.

Another speaker, Doctor Zehra of National Institute of Kidney and Urological Diseases, while sharing one of US medical report, said that 44 percent people with diabetics have been found facing kidney related problems whereas high blood pressure has 29 percent shares in this condition.

She further said that approximately one in three adults with diabetes and one in five adults with high blood pressure could have chronic kidney diseases. It is estimated to be more common in women than in men.

“We have around Rs200 per capita income whereas a person having kidney related disease is supposed to spend around Rs0.6 million for the treatment in a year. A kidney patient may also have heart attacks and strokes.”

Later, the focal person for KU Students’ Advisor Office’s Civic and Social Responsibility, Doctor Salman Zubair announced to start KU Kidney Ambassador programme to spread awareness about kidney related diseases. The participants also walk from Arts Lobby till Azadi Chowk to mark the World Kidney Day.

Earlier, the KU Students’ Advisor, Doctor Syed Asim Ali, mentioned that event was organised to give useful message to youngsters and how could they play a part to reduce the chances of kidney related problems in their families and friend’s circles.