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Ghost Schools

KARACHI: Apropos the letter “Ghost Teachers” published on September 19, 2024, the issue of ghost schools is another sad reality in Pakistan’s education system. These schools exist only in name, with buildings left abandoned and teachers still collecting salaries without fulfilling their responsibilities. However, the problem goes beyond just missing educators. The rise of child labour in the country is…

child labour in auto industry in Pakistan

Rapid assessment of child labour in automobile repair workshops in Pakistan

This Rapid Assessment examines child labour at automobile repair workshops in Pakistan, with a view to providing updated information on its magnitude, identifying factors that push children into this form of child labour and reviewing national efforts to address the phenomenon. Based on its findings, it offers recommendations for policy…

Local Production Of Iron, Folic Acid Supplements May Curb Anaemia In 15m Pakistani Girls

ISLAMABAD: The local production of Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFAS)…

Vaccination Centres Inaugurated in Peshawar, Mardan

PESHAWAR: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on 14 August 2024 inaugurated…

LoI Inked to Protect Child Health, Well-being

Islamabad: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Unicef to join the Children’s Environmental Health Collaborative and the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future. The officials said many children in Pakistan were exposed to lead at levels that adversely affected their…

Polio Shame

EVERY announcement of a vaccination campaign reflects Pakistan’s recognition of the polio problem and a resolve to defeat the crippling virus. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has launched the final nationwide polio drive of 2025 with the goal to immunise over 45m children. The minister said that the number of polio…

‘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…

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.…

Pakistan Witnesses 200pc Increase in HIV Infections in 15 Years

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has become one of the fastest-growing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region with new infections rising by 200pc over the last 15 years – from 16,000 in 2010 to 48,000 in 2024. This information as shared with participants of a walk organised by…

Pakistan’s 20 Districts Facing Worst Reproductive Health, Development Gaps: Experts

ISLAMABAD: New national evidence shows that 20 districts across Pakistan are trapped in deep, overlapping deprivation where reproductive health services are scarce, fertility rates remain high, schools and health facilities are far from communities, housing conditions are poor and exposure to climate risks is among the highest in the country.…

Though Easily Treatable, Pneumonia Kills Thousands of Children, Say Experts

ISLAMABAD: Health officials, pediatricians and lawmakers on November 25 warned childhood pneumonia is becoming a silent national emergency, driven by dangerously low routine immunisation, poor primary healthcare, and widespread misuse of antibiotics, despite the disease being entirely preventable and easily treatable with low-cost tools. Speaking at a national dialogue on…

Govt Asked to Operationalise KP’s First-ever Children Hospital

PESHAWAR: Health experts have demanded that the government to make operational the province’s first-ever children hospital forthwith. They made the demand while speaking at a function held at the Khyber Institute of Child Health (KICH), Hayatabad, on November 22. The event was organised by Pakistan Paediatric Association (PPA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa…

Child Abuse ‘Red Line’ for CM

LAHORE: Senior Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb said that practical measures are being taken for the protection and welfare of children under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. She reiterated that the Punjab government upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy towards child abuse and exploitation, and child violence is a…

Science Comes Alive With Comic Characters, Stories, Songs

KARACHI: On the occasion of World Children’s Day, which is celebrated on November 20, Unicef and singer and musician Bilal Maqsood unveiled Bachpan Bemisaal, a powerful new series that champions Early Childhood Development (ECD) — the foundation of every child’s health, learning and well-being — through storytelling and music at…