ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday highlighted the need for a secure shipping environment in a message marking World Maritime Day, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting the country’s maritime ecosystem.
Earlier this month, Pakistan hosted UN maritime chief Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, who attended an international conference and emphasized the country’s expanding role in the global maritime sector and commitment to sustainable shipping.
Pakistan is also actively enhancing its trade through sea routes and upgrading port infrastructure in Karachi and Gwadar, aiming to position itself as a key transit hub for landlocked Central Asian countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
World Maritime Day, instituted by the International Maritime Organization in 1978, highlights the importance of international shipping and maritime safety each year.
“The maritime sector serves as the backbone of global trade, playing a key role in economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and facilitating international cooperation,” the Pakistani president said in a statement circulated by his office.
“The day highlights the need for a more efficient and secure shipping environment to ensure the uninterrupted flow of international maritime trade,” he continued.
Zardari expressed Pakistan’s resolve to protect its maritime ecosystem and coastal areas by addressing key challenges such as marine pollution and climate change.
“Pakistan is actively working to strengthen its regulatory framework to tackle marine pollution, improve maritime waste management, and expand community-driven projects,” he added.
Pakistan is an active member of the International Maritime Organization and has signed various conventions related to safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.
It has also collaborated in this area with international organizations to mitigate the environmental damage faced by the maritime ecosystem.
Pakistan president stresses secure shipping environment on World Maritime Day
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Pakistan president stresses secure shipping environment on World Maritime Day
- Asif Ali Zardari calls maritime sector backbone of global economy, seeks uninterrupted flow of trade
- He says Pakistan is actively working to tackle marine pollution and issues related to climate change
’Super Flu’: Pakistan confirms presence of fast-spreading H3N2 influenza strain
- Health authorities say virus is not new but shows higher transmission rate
- WHO reports global rise in seasonal influenza cases, especially in Europe
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities on Monday confirmed the presence of the H3N2 influenza strain, often referred to as a fast-spreading “super flu,” in the country, but stressed there was no cause for panic, saying the virus is not new and remains manageable with standard treatment and vaccination.
Officials said the strain is part of seasonal influenza viruses that circulate globally each year and has undergone genetic changes that make it spread more quickly, a pattern health experts say is common for influenza.
The confirmation comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a global increase in seasonal influenza activity in recent months, with a growing proportion of influenza A(H3N2) cases detected, particularly across several European countries, including the United Kingdom.
“Yes, we have witnessed confirmed cases of H3N2 influenza (super Flu) in Pakistan since November this year. Out of total around 1,691 cases reported throughout Pakistan since last month, 12 percent are of the so called super flu,” Dr. Shafiq-Ur-Rahman, Senior Scientific Officer at Pakistan’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), told Arab News.
He said the virus had undergone a genetic drift, a gradual mutation that is typical of influenza viruses.
“The symptoms are similar to other influenza strains, but speed of transmission is high for H3N2,” Rahman said, adding that treatment remains the same as for other flu types and vaccination is critical to limiting spread.
Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that circulate year-round worldwide. The WHO has stressed that influenza continues to evolve through gradual genetic changes, making ongoing surveillance and regular vaccine updates essential.
Influenza spreads easily through droplets when infected people cough or sneeze. While most individuals recover within a week without medical treatment, the illness can range from mild to severe and may result in hospitalization or death, particularly among high-risk groups such as young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.
Doctors say early symptoms of the flu can resemble those of the common cold, but the progression often differs. Colds typically develop gradually, beginning with a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and sore throat, followed by mild coughing and fatigue.
Flu symptoms, however, tend to appear suddenly and more intensely, with patients often experiencing high fever, extreme tiredness, body aches, headaches and a dry cough.
Health experts say this abrupt and severe onset is usually the clearest indication that an illness is influenza rather than a common cold, which is generally milder and slower to develop.
