Mashable Pakistan Lab

An estimated 11 million people in Pakistan are suffering from Hepatitis C diseases and the number is increasing drastically every year. Moreover, Pakistan has the 2nd highest HCV prevalence in the world.

Hepatitis C is a disease that causes inflammation and infection of the liver. This condition develops following the transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The effects of this virus range in severity from a mild illness to a serious, lifelong illness including liver liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Major reasons of hepatitis C transmission is the exposure of blood to unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, unscreened blood transfusions, injection drug use and sexual practices.

NIC Pakistan joined hands with various other organizations to organize a Hepatitis C hackathon to invite entrepreneurs, health-hackers, technology experts and medical students to share their ideas that can help in the eradication of this disease from the country.

Around 340 applications from more than 60 cities in three continents were received from SMEs, startups, and medical experts under thematic areas of prevention, detection, and management. While out of 18 SMEs shortlisted, three startups were crowned winners of the Hepatitis C hackathon, including SLOSH AI, Nano-Detectors and Screen Pakistan.

Mashable Pakistan talks to the Aiman Khan (founder of SLOSH AI) and Dr. Anam Munawar (founder of Nano-Detectors), about the causes and effects of hepatitis C spread in Pakistan and how technology can help in the quick eradication of this disease. Dr. Anam and Aiman Khan shared how their technology-rich projects can enhance the medical services for diagnosing the disease in the early stages in a human body.

Pakistan has one of the highest malnutrition burdens in the world. The 2011 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) revealed that the country faces a complex triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, overnutrition (obesity & overweight) and micronutrient deficiency. While the NNS survey conducted in 2018 showed that the nutritional situation has not improved to a significant scale since 2011.

One of the major causes of malnutrition in the country is food wastage. Around 36 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in Pakistan. As per a research, 8 out of 10 children in the country do not have access to nutritious food.

Given the prevalence of chronic and acute undernourishment combined with rising cases of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), it is important to recognize that there is an urgent and pressing need to transform the existing food systems to tackle the menace of malnutrition.

To play there part in addressing the said issue in the country, the National Incubation Center (NIC) organized a hackathon called NutriBiz Innovation Challenge 2021. The focus of the hackathon was to improve the capability and productivity of SMEs and startups working on innovative solutions for problems pertaining to Food and Nutrition in Pakistan.

Dozens of startups applied for the competition, and three out of them were crowned winners of the innovation challenge. The winning startups include Farm to Home, Asqurr and Nutribreads.

Mashable Pakistan Lab talks to Nausheen Barket (founder of Asqurr) and Azam Khan (head of operations of Farm to Home), about the causes of malnutrition in Pakistan, and what steps should we as an individual and the government must take to end this crisis from the country. Nausheen and Azam also shared details about their startups, what products they offer, and how they are playing their part in reducing malnutrition from Pakistan.

The future of healthcare lies in working hand-to-hand with latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, among many others. Such technologies could help transform the entire healthcare system, in providing cheaper, faster and more effective solutions for diseases.

The world is facing new and deadly diseases like that of coronavirus, and it is high time that technology should be utilized to enhance medicine and healthcare for effective response to these diseases.

While the rest of the world is trying to integrate technology in their healthcare system with the help of latest tech based tools, there are various organizations in Pakistan as well, which are developing gadgets to help enhance the medical services in the country.

One such company, a startup, named Xpertflow is working to revolutionize the healthcare industry in Pakistan through its deep tech products. The startup is trying to address the day to day problems faced in Intensive Care, High Dependency Units and Emergency by improving the operational efficiency and the quality of patient care.

Mashable Pakistan Lab talks to Shan-ul-Haq, the CTO of Xpertflow, who shares the details about how their tech based healthcare products can help medical service providers enhance their operations. He also shared details regarding which technologies the company is working on to develop their products.

In Pakistan unfortunately there is not a balanced distribution of resources when it comes to sports. As a result, except for cricketers, the players suffer as they for the most part have to fend for themselves and look for ways to pursue the career they are passionate about.

Football is one such sport that has suffered in the country, despite have a considerable fan following and an equal amount of talent that has been going to waste. While there is impressive talent, the structure is decades behind where the international game is standing at the moment. A recent hit came in the form of FIFA’s ban on Pakistan Football Federation.

Mashable Pakistan Lab talks to Umaid Wasim, who is a sports journalist about the state of football in Pakistan and what needs to be done.

For the majority of us the mention of graphic content means a story that revolves around super heroes. However, there are few trailblazers in who are telling all kinds of stories using the medium. One such individual is Sabdezar Irfan, a graphic designer with a corporate day job and an all-time storyteller.

What would it take for your world to come apart at the seams? And when it does, what would it take for you to survive it? Grey Matter by Sabdezar Irfan is an intimate story of a young couple narrated as a graphic novel. She takes on mental health, a subject still taboo in our society.

Mashable Pakistan Lab talks to Sabdezar Irfan about her passion for graphic design and storytelling and how the two came together for her.