perspective-health - Page 12

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. “The passage of the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025…

THE SCREEN-TIME TRAP

It’s a common scenario. A parent wants to do some chores or wants some free time for his or her self and the child may be causing disruptions or being clingy. Finding no other way to distract the child, the parent gives his/her smartphone to the child to keep them…

Prevention is Cheaper

Each year, climate-induced disasters cost Pakistan billions of dollars and push millions…

Glaucoma for Children

A nice year old Hajra visited the paediatric ophthalmology department at our…

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…

Improving energy resilience in Pakistan can avert 175,000 child and adult deaths

A new UNICEF study finds that investing in resilient energy would also add US$ 2.3 billion to Pakistan’s economy, bring a triple return on investment and boost education. ISLAMABAD/ NEW YORK, 31 May 2024 – A new UNICEF study shows that powering more health facilities with resilient energy in Pakistan could…

Fistula and child marriages

Seema’s battle with fistula unveils the tragedy of early marriage, urging society to confront the intertwined dangers of child marriage and women’s health crises. Seema, a resident of Astore District of Gilgit-Baltistan, received the title, ‘Woman of the Year’, not for her achievements, but for a fate imposed upon her…

Floods pour cold water over Pakistans dream to become malaria-free

ISLAMABAD: While World Malaria Day was observed under a global theme, ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’ on 25 April 2024, Pakistan has committed to controlling the mosquito-borne disease, hoping to ‘become malaria free by 2035’. Once, Pakistan was eying the status of a malaria-free country…

Policymakers urged to integrate mental health services into primary care settings

PESHAWAR: Experts have called upon policymakers to integrate mental health services into primary care settings to scale up awareness and reduce stigma associated with mental health illnesses among people. At the concluding session of fourth International Public Health Conference at Khyber Medical University (KMU) on 20 April 2024, they termed…

Sehat Sahulat vs. Universal Health Coverage

SEHAT Sahulat is a great programme but universal health coverage has a much larger vision. Sehat Sahulat is a state-financed health insurance system for the curative care of hospitalised patients, whereas UHC means healthcare for all. After the universalisation of the Sehat Sahulat programme in the federal areas, KP and…

Autism and SDGs

The 2024 observance of World Autism Day is aligned with the implementation status and progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition representing human evolution and neurodiversity among all world populations. The SDGs are universally agreed goals adopted in 2015 by the UN to bridge economic disparities…

Mother’s milk, mother’s choice

LAST month, the Senate approved the `Islamabad Capital Territory Protection of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Bill, 2023` that aims to discourage the use of breast milk substitutes. Back in November, there had been heated speeches on the floor of the Upper House regarding the import and sale of breast milk…