perspective-health - Page 7

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 busy. The child’s attention is diverted, glued to the screen…

Prevention is Cheaper

Each year, climate-induced disasters cost Pakistan billions of dollars and push millions into deeper poverty. Yet our policies remain stuck in a reactive cycle, waiting for the damage to occur, then scrambling with relief. This approach is not only costly but also destructive to development gains. Prevention is smarter in…

Glaucoma for Children

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

The Age Of Consent And The Borders Of Belief

ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a pivotal step toward a…

Nutrition Challenge

WHEN a country’s children go hungry, its future withers. In Pakistan, where over 40pc of children under five are stunted, nearly 18pc are wasted, and more than half suffer from anaemia, malnutrition threatens to undermine a generation. For a middle-income country with nuclear capabilities and significant agricultural output, such statistics…

Against Children

WHY is this country so against its own children and its own future? Are you surprised by this question? Look at some of the statistics and facts below and see if the question is still surprising. Some 40 percent of our children are said to be malnourished, that is, four…

Suicidal Behaviour

CHILDREN constitute around 45 percent of the Pakistani population, with 22.7pc adolescents from 10 to 19 years. Along with their educational, safety and physical health needs, there is also an urgent need to prevent and respond to their mental health challenges. The WHO estimates that 15pc of the global burden…

Vulnerable Vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel on the front lines of this battle is guaranteed. According to one count, over 200 polio workers and police personnel have been martyred in the field since the 1990s. The latest tragedy occurred…

Smog and Schooling

WHETHER schools are open or closed, it is not going to have much of an impact on smog levels across Punjab. The decision about closing schools has more to do with some notion that children will be less exposed to the smog if they stay at home than if they…

Water, Sanitation A Dream For Public School Students

LAHORE. Despite a billion-rupee budget, schools across the province have no clean bathrooms or drinking water available for students For students spending nearly six to seven hours away from home each day, the school premises become almost like a second home. Yet for the hapless students stuck in public schools,…

Ending Polio

WITH polio cases in Pakistan rising sharply in recent weeks, the government has unveiled the National Emergency Action Plan for Polio 2024-25. The country has already reported 39 cases this year, compared to just six in 2023. The spike has raised concerns about our ability to eradicate the virus, with…

Diphtheria Threat

Karachi faces a diphtheria outbreak, with 28 child deaths in 2023, exposing gaps in vaccination and critical care. Pakistan’s healthcare system continues to show cracks as another preventable tragedy unfolds in Karachi. This year, 28 children have lost their lives to diphtheria – a bacterial disease that could have been…

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,…