UO & UHS collaborate on COVID Vaccine research

Okara (UNP / Sheikh Nadeem )
The University of Okara organized a seminar, hosting the Vice Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, Prof Dr Javed Akram, who delivered a detailed presentation on his institution’s interventions regarding COVID-19 prevention and vaccination and vowed to collaborate with the UO on various aspects of the pandemic related research.
Dr Akram revealed that, so far, only 32 percent of the world population had been vaccinated while the ratio in Pakistan was only 3 percent. He told, “Until at least 65 percent of the world population receive vaccination, the pandemic cannot be controlled.” Moreover, he argued that herd immunity was the ultimate goal to flatten the curve of this disease. He also inaugurated Department of Public Health at the UO.
At the eve, the UO Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Muhammad Zakria Zakar, appealed to Dr Akram for helping his university in the promotion of medical and public health education and health literacy.
Paying homage to Dr Akram’s interventions on medical education, Dr Zakar Said, “He has given a new direction and dimension to medical education in Pakistan, shifting it from curative model to the preventive model. We want the UHS, being an industry leader, to give patronage to our institution for the promotion of public health education.”
The renowned public health expert and Director, Institute of Social & Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, Prof Dr Rubeena Zakar, also shared the results of her latest research on the hesitancy and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination in Pakistan.
She stated, “The Pakistani people’s hesitancy towards the vaccination is driven by non-serious attitude towards healthcare, lack of trust and conspiracy theories.”
She suggested that community outreach and involvement through information, education and communication were necessary to increase the vaccination ratio.
Dr Rashid Qammar Rao, Principal, Sahiwal Medical College, were also present at the eve. In his brief note, he told that the pandemic proved to a touch teacher that sensitized people to take care of personal health and hygiene.
The prominent social activist, Mazhar Sahi, argued that Pakistan were facing three dire challenges including economy, environment and COVID and the government was coping with these challenges well.
At the end of the event, shields were distributed among the guest speakers. The UO’s Deputy Registrar, Jamil Asim, was the focal person of this event