SU Organizes Webinar On Pandemic

SU organizes webinar on pandemic

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Aug, 2020 ) :The Pandemic has a long history and its eruption caused enormous negative impacts on health, economies, and even national security in the world.

This was stated by the Vice Chancellor University of Sindh Jamshoro Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat in his presidential remarks at the webinar organized on Wednesday by the Department of General History in collaboration with Bureau of Students Tutorial Guidance/Counseling Services and Co-curricular Activities (STAGS) on the topic "History and Pandemics".

Noted historian and former Chairman Department of General History Dr. Mubarak Ali was the speaker on the occasion while the incumbent Chairman of the same department Dr. Irfan Ahmed Shaikh moderated the event.

Dr. Burfat said, "The study of epidemics helps us understand politics, socio-economic structures, and personal relationships". "From the earliest times to the present, epidemics have affected human history in myriad ways: demographically, culturally, politically, financially, and biologically", he added He said that the earliest plague epidemics raised questions about humans' relations to nature. Yellow fever led to significant social changes while epidemics of cholera exposed how the industrial revolution created conditions for contagion to spread among workers and the poor, he said and added, the global influenza epidemic of 1918 led to an outpouring of altruism and self sacrifice.

Dr. Burfat eulogised the efforts of Dr. Irfan Ahmed Shaikh and Director Bureau of STAGS Dr. Sumera Umrani towards organizing a successful webinar on an important theme in the ongoing context.

Speaker Dr.

Mubarak Ali said epidemics cast influence on man's thought-patterns, beliefs, economics, politics, social perceptions, priorities, religious convictions, culture, art, literature, warfare, folklore and other ways of life.

"The two hundred year long Plague of Justinian wiped out millions in several waves across Europe, North Africa and the middle East and crippling the expansionary aspirations of the Roman Empire, although some other scholars argue that its impact has been overstated", he informed adding that the 14th century Black Death pandemic is thought to have catalyzed enormous societal, economic, artistic and cultural reforms in Medieval Europe. It illustrates how infectious disease pandemics can be major turning points in history, with lasting impacts, Dr. Mubarak opined.

He explained how Black Death epidemic caused widespread deaths leading to labour shortages across feudal society and often led to higher wages, cheaper land, better living conditions and increased freedoms for the lower class.

Dr. Mubarak Ali said that in Spanish Influenza of 1918, around 500 million people were infected and almost a third of the global population at the time was affected-leading to 50-100 million deaths. "In the 20th century 75 million people became infected with HIV, and about 32 million people died, " he observed.

He said that Covid-19 as an extension of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) had now hit the world overhauling life in its almost each sphere.

The webinar was attended by large number of students, faculty, researchers and history-lovers who applauded the event by dropping praise opinions in the comment box.