• Over 12,000 inspections conducted
• Efforts on to inoculate staff, passengers
• Pandemic likely to halt two decades of progress towards Universal Health Coverage

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday claimed that a total of 12,073 inspections were conducted, 172 vehicles impounded and 37 arrests made across the country under its campaign to ensure observance of the mandatory vaccination regime in the transport sector.

Inspections were carried out as part of a special drive being undertaken by all federating units through joint monitoring teams (JMTs) to implement the obligatory vaccination regime in the transport sector. The campaign started on Dec 8 and will continue till the 18th of the current month.

The NCOC stated that the JMTs had been mandated to check all types of public and private intercity/intra-city transport at entry and exit points, bus stands/terminals, toll plazas, interchanges, rest areas and inter-provincial boundary on the national highways and motorways.

“Only vaccinated individuals and those carrying medical exemption certificates will be allowed to travel,” the forum said in a statement.

It said efforts would be made to inoculate unvaccinated vehicle staff/passengers on the spot through the mobile vaccination team (MVT), adding that areas that had been inspected for implementation of the obligatory regime were Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lodhran, Okara, Keamari, Hafizabad, Lahore, Kasur, Multan, Jhelum and Shahkot.

On the other hand, seven patients succumbed to Covid-19 and 288 more tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours, the NCOC data said.

The number of active cases as of Dec 12 was recorded at 9,118 out of which 773 were hospitalised.

Half billion people in extreme poverty

New evidence compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank shows that the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards the Universal Health Coverage.

The organisations also revealed that more than half a billion people were being pushed into extreme poverty because they had to pay for health services out of their own pockets.

Moreover, financial hardship is likely to become intense as poverty grows, incomes fall and governments face tighter fiscal constraints.

According to a statement, the findings are contained in two complementary reports launched on the Universal Health Coverage Day, highlighting the devastating impact of Covid-19 on people’s ability to obtain healthcare and pay for it.

In 2020, the pandemic disrupted health services and stretched countries’ health systems beyond their limits as they struggled to deal with the impact of Covid-19.

As a result, for example, immunisation coverage dropped for the first time in 10 years and deaths from TB and malaria increased.

The pandemic also triggered the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, making it increasingly difficult for people to pay for care.

Even before the pandemic, half a billion people were being pushed (or pushed still further) into extreme poverty because of payments they made for healthcare. The organisations expect that the number is now considerably higher.

“There is no time to spare,” said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that “all governments must immediately resume and accelerate efforts to ensure every one of their citizens can access health services without fear of the financial consequences.”

“This means strengthening public spending on health and social support and increasing their focus on primary healthcare systems that can provide essential care close to home,” he said.

Mr Ghebreyesus said prior to the pandemic, many countries had made progress.

“But it was not robust enough; this time we must build health systems that are strong enough to withstand shocks, such as the next pandemic, and stay on course towards universal health coverage,” he added.

The new WHO/World Bank reports also warn that financial hardship is likely to become more intense as poverty grows, incomes fall and governments face tighter fiscal constraints.

“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, almost one billion people were spending more than 10 per cent of their household budget on health,” said Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank.

“This is not acceptable, especially

since the poorest people are hit hardest. Within a constrained fiscal space, governments will have to make tough choices to protect and increase health budgets,” he added.

Together, these two new reports offer both a warning and guideposts to all countries as they strive to build back better from Covid-19 and keep their populations safe, healthy and financially secure.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2021