Take a Lesson
Consider Vietnam first. It is one of those nations that, despite having few resources, have stood out as a champion in controlling the pandemic. Its response was timely and effective, and it emphasized home-grown solutions to keep the number of cases to minimum. Some of the steps taken there are formation of contact-tracing teams, regular inspections of the infected by neighborhood wardens, and strict scrutiny of fake news circulating on social media platforms.
Nevertheless, officials in Pakistan, to absolve themselves of their missteps, may argue that Vietnam's success story depended chiefly upon its authoritarian and one-party system. To counter any such arguments, they must be introduced to another example of Sierra Leone, a not-very-rich country in Africa. It's model, too, focused on local solutions instead of emulating others. It leveraged its past experience of Ebola and activated contact-tracing teams even before it countered any case - the action in Pakistan was otherwise, however. More so, it managed an effective public messaging strategy by securing the support of local village leaders, religious leaders, and traditional healers.
Thus, taking a cue from both cases, Pakistan ought to devise a plan based upon native solutions so that curve of rising numbers could be flattened.
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