Health - Page 20

SPARC State of Pakistan’s Children Report

“State of Children Report” is an annual publication produced by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), a non-governmental organization based in Pakistan. The report provides information on the situation of children in the country, covering various aspects such as health, education, violence against children, juvenile justice system, etc. The report is widely cited by…

The Age Of Consent And The Borders Of Belief

ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a pivotal step toward a safer, progressive Pakistan KARACHI. Child rights organisations and advocates, along with concerned citizens, have warmly welcomed the passage of recent legislation on child marriages, describing it as a landmark step toward protecting the rights and well-being of children.…

Video of Teacher Assaulting Student in Gujar Khan Sparks Police Action

RAWALPINDI: In the Gujar Khan area of Rawalpindi, a video showing a…

Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24

The Pakistan Economic Survey is an annual publication by the Ministry of…

Exploitation Thrives as Painted Children Work at Karachi’s Signals

KARACHI: Child street performers, some as young as eight, spend hours at city intersections and traffic signals with their faces and clothes painted gold. To catch the attention of passersby and earn money for their families or handlers, these children stand robotically still, appearing to any empathetic observer as little…

Oil Depot Near School Faces PHC Challenge Over Safety Risks

PESHAWAR: A constitutional petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the operation of an oil depot in Taro Jabba, Nowshera, citing serious risks to the lives of schoolchildren. The petition names the federal and provincial governments, the Chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA),…

Punjab Reports Four Positive Polio Samples in November

LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) CoordinatorAdeel Tasawur shared encouraging progress in the fight against polio, announcing that only four environmental samples tested positive in November—two from Lahore and two from Rawalpindi. He delivered the update while chairing a meeting with representatives from all districts of Punjab ahead of the…

‘Caution, Not Panic’: What to Know About ‘Super Flu’

• UK variant of mutated influenza bug has also been detected in Pakistan • Doctors say flu shots best way to prevent severe illness, hospitalisation • Fog may speed up transmission; the elderly at risk from younger ‘super spreaders’ WHILE several European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, are grappling with…

DEA Issues Security SOPs for Schools

Rawalpindi:The District Education Authority (DEA), Rawalpindi has issued 14-point security measures and school safety SOPs for private educational institutions across the district, which will come into effect immediately. Action will be taken against institutions that do not implement the SOPs. In this regard, the administration of private educational institutions has…

Study Identifies Key Drivers of Pakistan’s Stalled Fertility Decline

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s fertility transition began late, fell rapidly for a short period, and has shown no meaningful improvement since 2006. Birth rates remain high due to the country’s slow social and economic progress, particularly low levels of female education, high child mortality and limited income growth. This is the central…

Private Hospitals’ Missing Data Hampering Polio Targets Analysis, Says Commissioner

KARACHI: Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi held a meeting with representatives of Private Hospitals and Clinics Association (PHCA), seeking their support to strengthen polio eradication efforts of the government. During the meeting, the commissioner highlighted the challenges the government had been facing in obtaining vaccination data from private hospitals, noting…

Minister Blames Declining Breastfeeding for Infant Deaths

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousuf on December 11 said infants in Pakistan continue to die from diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition because families abandon breastfeeding without medical reason. He said such behaviour amounts to “committing a sin” when Allah Almighty has clearly directed mothers to breastfeed their children.…

Child Stunting Declines in Pakistan, Finds Survey

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on December 10 that approximately 3.9 million beneficiaries have been enrolled in the ‘Nashonuma Program’ over the past five years to address the issue of stunting. Responding to questions during the question hour, Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah…

‘Unprecedented’ increase in Poliovirus spread Alarms Sindh Govt

• Over 75pc of environmental samples tested positive since mid-2025, meeting told • CM Murad directs officials to look into emerging public health crisis • Week-long anti-polio drive to begin from 15th KARACHI: There has been a sharp surge in circulation of poliovirus in the province, affecting at least 21…