National

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) in adolescent doses could prevent around 15 million adolescent girls in Pakistan from suffering from iron deficiency anemia as ensuring sustainable access to these supplements could significantly reduce costs and lessen reliance on expensive imports, according to officials and nutrition experts. Iron deficiency anaemia is the leading cause…

Federal Health Minister Urges Action As Vaccination Refusals Hindering Polio Eradication

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has expressed serious concern over vaccine refusals, stating that nearly 43,000 parents in Sindh — 42,000 of them in Karachi alone —have refused polio vaccination for their children, posing a major obstacle to the eradication efforts. He made these remarks while visiting the Provincial…

New Textbooks For Grade 1 To 5 To Be Delivered In Two Weeks

ISLAMABAD: The supply of newly developed textbooks for grade 1 to 5…

Children With Disabilities Showcase Talent At PNCA

Islamabad: The Directorate General of Special Education (DGSE), Ministry of Federal Education…

Preventable Deaths

THE deaths of 144 children from measles and diphtheria in Karachi during the first seven months of the year expose a grave failure of routine immunisation. That failure is evident in the large number of children who receive their earliest vaccines but are never brought back for the doses needed…

Climate & Lactation

EVERY year in August, Breastfeeding Week arrives with the same kind of messaging all over the media: ‘breastfeeding is best’. That is where the conversation begins and ends. This year, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, alongside Unicef and the WHO, has deliberately questioned the math behind it all, instead…

Protect the Children

Last Sunday at around 11pm, I went to a restaurant about two miles from my home with my wife and children for dinner. As we sat waiting for our meal, two little girls, who appeared to be between 10 and 12 years old, approached our table carrying crunchy Papadom. They…

Unplanned Future

A PROJECTION that Pakistan’s population could reach 400m by 2040 should not be treated as another dramatic number to be quoted at ceremonies and forgotten by the next budget. It is a warning about the size of the state’s future obligations. Every additional child will need vaccination, nutrition, schooling, safe…

NA Body Wants Nationwide Standard Age for Marriage

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on July 29 expressed concern over the different ages determined for marriage by the federal and provincial governments and directed the Ministry of Human Rights to adopt stringent measures to make the marriage age identical throughout the country by taking all provinces into confidence. The meeting…

HIV Warning

THE HIV infections detected around two SESSI-run hospitals in Karachi demand far more than another hurried committee and a seven-day report. Ten people have tested positive near the Landhi facility, while screening around Valika Hospital has identified 120 cases, including children. These figures do not by themselves prove hospital transmission;…

‘Pakistan’s Population can Reach 400 Million by 2040’

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath on Wednesday warned that Pakistan’s population could reach 400 million by 2040, stressing that public awareness and individual responsibility were essential to address the country’s rapid population growth. Speaking at a ceremony at the Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Tarlai,…

The Lost School Culture After Covid-19

All those who used to attend school before 2020 can relate to many things. Covid-19 was a major disruptor that entirely changed the routine and productivity of human life. When I was doing my matriculation in a government school, we used to attend a daily strict exercise and prayer routine…

Child Marriage

A FEW days after I helped prevent the marriage, my phone rang. It was Sumaiya, or Dadli, as she is more commonly known. I have known her since she was very little. She is shy and soft-spoken, the kind of girl who quietly laughs with her cousins and loves carrying…

A Brief on Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse in Pakistan

I. Understanding child protection Child protection, as generally understood under various federal and provincial acts of Pakistan, refers to the prevention and response to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect experienced by children. It encompasses the systems, services, and legal mechanisms that are put in place to identify children at risk…

1 2 3 … 36 Next