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Bill Gates warns countries around the world need to prepare for next pandemic

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Bill Gates has a clear message for the world: get ready for the next pandemic.

The Microsoft co-founder told the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney that politicians need to be able to set aside their differences in order to prepare for the next major virus.

But, despite his warnings, Gates praised Australia’s policies that kept the coronavirus from spreading while the world waited for a vaccine.

“Some of the things that stand out are that Australia and about seven other countries did population-scale diagnostics early on and had quarantine policies…that meant you kept the level of infection low in that first year when there were no vaccines,” he tech billionaire turned philanthropist said.

“The one thing that still hangs in the balance is will we have the global capacity and at the regional and country levels that would mean that when an [infectious disease] threat comes up we act in such a way that it doesn’t go global.”

He then went on to stress that leaders need to be revisiting their pandemic policies every few years to ensure they are as prepared as possible in the event of a mass-scale virus, infection, or disease.

“We need to be doing every five years a comprehensive exercise at both country and regional levels of pandemic preparedness and you need a global group that’s scoring everybody,” he said.

He likened the exercise to workplace fire drills to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

“That’s definitely a best practice in the future,” Gates said.

Speaking of America, Gates slammed Donald Trump’s Covid-19 policies in the US during his tenure as President, stating that America’s failure to quarantine en masse and scale up diagnostics for the virus was precisely why the nation recorded a staggering 1.1 million deaths.

Gates is currently visiting Australia with members of his Breakthrough Energy company.

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WHO warns lack of mental health services in Afghanistan is alarming

WHO attributed the current state of mental health services in Afghanistan to years of conflict, economic hardship, and widespread psychological stress.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the absence of mental health services in provincial hospitals across Afghanistan, despite a critical need among the population.

The organization reports that all 34 provincial hospitals in the country currently lack specialized mental health facilities.

In a statement, WHO attributed the current state of mental health services in Afghanistan to years of conflict, economic hardship, and widespread psychological stress.

With financial support from the European Union, WHO has launched a program aimed at improving mental health and providing social support across the country.

This initiative focuses particularly on vulnerable populations and is being implemented through the hospital network.

To address the severe shortage of specialized mental health services, WHO has initiated a pilot project that integrates inpatient wards for the treatment of severe mental health disorders into selected provincial hospitals.

As part of this effort, inpatient facilities with a capacity of eight beds have been established in the provinces of Bamyan, Badakhshan, Farah, and Nimroz. Additionally, a larger 20-bed center has been launched at the Aino Mina Hospital in Kandahar province.

WHO emphasized that the goal of these centers is not only to treat psychological symptoms, but also to support patients in rebuilding their lives, restoring family relationships, and reintegrating into society.

Nevertheless, the organization has expressed concern about the uncertain future of the program.

It warned that the expansion and sustainability of these services are essential to meet the growing mental health needs of the Afghan population.

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Head of MSF in Afghanistan meets with Jalali over improving healthcare services

Michael Lippi committed to making efforts aimed at improving the quality of healthcare services and fostering better coordination.

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MSF and health minister

Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Health Noorjilal Jalali met with the head of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) for Afghanistan, Michael Lippi, for discussions on improving healthcare centers and medical services in the country.

The two officials also discussed enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers, ensuring transparency in services, improving coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, and delivering effective and sustainable healthcare services.

Jalali emphasized the importance of increasing and expanding the organization’s support for the health sector and called for further development of services.

He stressed the need to enhance the capacity, quality, effectiveness, and transparency of healthcare workers.

Michael Lippi also emphasized the need for further improvements in health services in Afghanistan and the expansion of this sector.

He committed to efforts aimed at improving the quality of healthcare services and fostering better coordination. He specifically addressed the continuation of services in the provinces of Herat, Kunduz, and Helmand, confirming that these centers will continue their operations in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Interim Government, held a separate meeting with

Michael Lippi to discuss the expansion of healthcare services and the provision of necessary facilities for returning migrants.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lippi reassured government that MSF’s efforts to improve maternal and child health and enhance the capacity of healthcare personnel will continue.

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Japanese charity Peshawar-Kai to resume leprosy treatment in Afghanistan

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Peshawar-Kai, a Japanese aid organization, has announced that it will resume leprosy treatment in Afghanistan after around 15 years.

The charity will treat leprosy patients in memory of its former head Tetsu Nakamura, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.

The NGO will begin its leprosy treatment program in Afghanistan this year.

It will treat patients in areas such as Nangarhar province by providing medicines, training staff and sending mobile treatment teams.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused mainly by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.

Nakamura started treated leprosy patients in Pakistan in the 1980s and then began extensive activities, including the construction of water supply canals in Afghanistan.

The Japanese aid worker was killed in an armed attack in Jalalabad in December 2019.

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