perspective-health

Recognising Nutritional Needs of Children

HEALTHY human capital is a critical gauge of economic stability. The money spent on healthcare is a major determinant of economic growth which can help increase income levels. According to S.J. Mushkin’s hypothesis, it is an investment that concerns the national economy and aids in high productivity and prosperity. Likewise, learning skills have a pivotal role in economic growth; these…

Glaucoma for Children

A nice year old Hajra visited the paediatric ophthalmology department at our hospital with complaints of decreased vision. An examination revealed that her visual loss was significant and irreversible in both eyes. All that could be done at this stage was to prevent further loss of vision by surgery. Hajra…

Immunisation for a healthier tomorrow

VACCINES are the most cost-effective health care interventions. A dollar spent on…

Mother’s milk, mother’s choice

LAST month, the Senate approved the `Islamabad Capital Territory Protection of Breastfeeding…

Malnutrition Epidemic

MALNUTRITION has been a primary factor in Pakistan’s disease burden for many years. Recently, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, along with representatives from Unicef and Fafen, observed that malnutrition costs Pakistan approximately 3pc of its GDP and highlighted the country’s status as the second highest in diabetic patients, laying significant emphasis…

What Mpox Means For Our Children

The modern world is getting increasingly smaller and interconnected. Whether a newsbreak or a viral outbreak, it travels across continents in the blink of an eye. Just as we were beginning to breathe easier after Covid-19, another virus has silently made its way across our border and made its presence felt. Mpox,…

Child Rights Crisis

As the planet bakes in the hottest summer ever, with each passing month warmer than the last, the climate crisis is depriving children of some of their basic human rights and reducing opportunities for them to secure and live a decent life. Extreme weather events linked to climate change disproportionately…

Babies Galore

OURS is a society where parents start planning their daughter’s marriage soon after she is born. Here the social compulsion for couples to prove their fertility is so great that they have their first child within a year or so after tying the knot. Worse still, women are desperate to…

Malnourished Future

Almost half of the children in Pakistan experience stunted growth, while nearly a third are underweight and suffer from wasting. The long-term consequences of these issues for the future of the country are significant. In Sindh, infant and young child feeding practices are inadequate, with approximately 98 percent of children…

Nature-Based Education

Disconnection from nature is a catalyst for the present environmental crisis and several physical, mental, and emotional illnesses. With mental health challenges on the rise in the US and climate change on the brink of becoming irreversible, there is an urgent need for educators who can help restore our sense…

PHC Education And Training

LET me first clarify that while the title of this article might give the impression that we are educating and training our medical students about quality Primary Health Care (qPHC), we are not. Recently though, some important policy developments have taken place, which are paving the way for sustainable education…

Exploring Reproductive Health Rights: What You Need to Know

As women, many of us have navigated through the uncomfortable changes of puberty with an incomplete understanding of their implications and faced challenging pregnancies without adequate information or healthcare. Our experiences vary based on geographical location, income, and ethnicity. Yet, a shared absence of a rights-based discourse on access to…

Neonatal Healthcare

The recent imposition of an 18% general sales tax (GST) on formula milk is a matter of considerable concern. The price of formula milk, already a significant expense for many families, will put additional financial strain on households, especially those with limited incomes. This policy decision is particularly troubling given…

Dyslexia Children Struggle through Academics

For a society which obsesses over rearing the perfect child, children faring poorly in academics are consistently shunned for not working hard enough, irrespective of whether their under-par scholastic performance is the direct result of an irregular study routine or a congenital learning difficulty like dyslexia. According to the Cleveland…