Pakistan has world’s best ‘national response program’: WHO

1. The country representative of The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, said on Friday that Pakistan had observed one of world’s best “national response programmes’ against COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan and urged the people to follow the precautionary and preventive measures to avoid contracting the virus, which is extremely contagious but not as lethal as some other members of the coronavirus family.

• Talking about the  the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said even countries with well-advanced health systems like South Korea and Italy had failed to contain COVID-19. He added that Pakistani authorities timely responded to the threat and took measures which resulted in keeping the virus at bay for a longer time when other counties were having its cases.

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Further more, he urged the people to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting the viral disease, saying they should avoid visiting public gatherings, maintain hand hygiene by washing their hands with soap and water, following coughing and sneezing etiquettes, and remaining indoors in case of flu-like symptoms. “Maintaining hand hygiene is the key to prevent oneself from contracting not only COVID-19, but also many other transmissible diseases. People should regularly wash their hands with soap and water at least for 20 seconds and use sanitizers when they can not wash their hands,” he said, adding that adopting coughing etiquettes was also very important as it would prevent spreading the virus to others.

“ It is very important that people remain indoors for some days if they have flu-like symptoms. It would prevent other people from contracting the disease even if it is not COVID-19.”

WHO country head visited Jinnah International Airport Karachi on Friday

World Health Organisation’s Country Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala had reviewed arrangements for coronavirus screening at the Jinnah International Airport on Friday and expressed his satisfaction.