More than half of Pakistan’s children suffer from anaemia, while vitamin A and D deficiencies are common among women and adolescent girls. These deficiencies weaken immunity, impair learning and raise health costs across communities. Pakistan loses nearly $17 billion each year in productivity and healthcare costs linked to these preventable deficiencies, adding that mandatory food fortification can transform health and the economy. Across the world, food fortification has emerged as one of the most
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: A new international analysis of 18 randomised trials involving over 143,000 newborns has found that a simple antiseptic — chlorhexidine — likely cuts umbilical cord infection rates by about 29 per cent in low-and middle-income countries, and may reduce newborn deaths. Umbilical cord care, according to experts, is a key part of newborn hygiene that helps prevent infections and promotes healthy healing. The practice varies widely around the world, shaped by local culture,
KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to implement a modern watermarking system to prevent cheating in examinations, through which those responsible for leaking exam papers can be immediately traced. This was said by Sindh Minister for Universities and Boards Muhammad Ismail Rahu while presiding over an important meeting at the office of the universities and boards department secretary regarding the preparations for the new academic year examinations. The meeting was attended by universities and
DERA GHAZI KHAN: Two youths have reportedly been abducted by the Laadi gang from village Kocha Wadani in the vicinity of the Saddar Police Station. According to sources, the Laadi gang abducted Danial (19) and Shahil (15) hailing from the Wadani clan, residents of Kocha Wadani, and took them to the Koh Sulaiman tehsil in the jurisdiction of the Border Military Police (BMP). Sources further alleged that a tribal jirga, comprising members of the
SAHIWAL: A mother strangled her two-and-a-half months old daughter in a fit of rage following a quarrel with her husband at Chak 81/12-L on Mar 26. Muddasir Hafeez (45), a farmer, married Marriam. The couple had three sons and an infant daughter. A dispute arose between the husband and wife over the illness of the youngest child, Hareem, and Muddasir accused Mariam of negligence. In a fit of rage, Mariam allegedly strangled the newborn.
PESHAWAR: The routine immunisation rate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has gone up from 50pc in November last year to 74pc in February this year, with officials attributing it to team efforts. “The spike in immunisation against 12 vaccine-preventable childhood ailments has become possible due to the comprehensive and sustained team efforts, which resulted in more coverage by reaching children who were previously inaccessible,” director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Mehtab Khan told
CHILDREN need education, physical activity, family and relaxation as well as adequate time for sleep (around nine to 12 hours depending on their age). This has become harder to manage as screen time has been increasing a lot in recent decades. A typical day for me —before the era of mobile phones, the internet and social media — was school till about 2pm, lunch, some time for relaxation, an hour or two for homework,
Rawalpindi: Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Engineer Aamir Khattak has directed all district administrations to finalise comprehensive arrangements for the Matriculation (First Annual) Examinations 2026, commencing from March 27, under the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi. Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, he emphasized that ensuring a peaceful environment for students and maintaining complete transparency in the examination process remain top priorities. He stressed that strict monitoring must be enforced to
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Mohsin Naqvi has ordered a comprehensive and aggressive crackdown on drug syndicates targeting educational institutions across the country. During a briefing at the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Headquarters, the minister stated that the government would mobilise all available resources to dismantle the “drug mafia” and cut off supply lines infiltrating schools, colleges, and universities. Naqvi’s visit signalled a shift toward a more proactive enforcement strategy. He directed
The South Investigation Police have safely recovered a three-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped from Seaview beach. The minor, identified as Warisha, had gone missing from the beach on the third day of Eid-ul-Fitr. A case regarding her kidnapping was registered at the Darakhshan police station on March 25. Police said the child’s photographs and details were circulated on social media platforms to aid in her recovery. She was later found safe near Jackson
A man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in North Nazimabad, officials said on Mar 26. The suspect was caught by the victim’s father with the help of local residents and handed over to police. According to police, an FIR has been registered under Section 337-B on the complaint of the girl’s father, Javed Iqbal, at the Shahrah-e-Noor Jahan police station. The complainant, a resident of Block R, North Nazimabad,
RAWALPINDI: The Punjab School Education Department has ordered that all public and private schools and academies remain closed from March 10 to March 31, warning that any private institution found open in violation will be sealed. Registrations of such schools will be cancelled, show-cause notices issued to those responsible, and salaries of headmasters and teachers in public schools may be stopped if they defy orders. Daily reports on compliance have been sought, while eight