THE International Mother Earth Day, observed every year on April 22, is in many ways an acknowledgement that we are entirely reliant on everything that happens on Earth, and, therefore, we need to make sustainable contributions that strengthen our relationship with the planet we inhabit. But, is a
Children given in the custody of childless couples are vulnerable to mistreatment LAHORE. Till date, Pakistan has not been able to devise formal legislation on the practice of child adoption, despite the fact that a significant number of married couples are given temporary custody of abandoned children each
AMID dramatic aid cuts, the WHO has sounded the alarm about the dangers to Pakistan’s mothers and newborns, asking global and national associates to help lower its maternal and neonatal mortalities without delay. To prevent another bleak phase — in 2020, a UN progress report said that Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked international and national partners to urgently invest in reducing maternal and newborn deaths in Pakistan. In a statement issued on the occasion of World Health Day, it said that every day, 675 under-one-month-old babies and 27 mothers die from preventable complications
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have admitted in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that they prioritise the security of VIPs over making efforts to curb the growing menace of drug use in educational institutions. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas was hearing a petition filed by
Despite the passage of 12 years, the law to prevent the genetic blood disorder could not be implemented KARACHI: A stitch in time saves nine. The true meaning of this saying would be best understood by the hapless parents of children with thalassemia, who in their expediency to
A FRIEND once received a panic call from a mother just as I was heading out to give a talk to middle-school students on growing up. As a paediatrician who deals with adolescent medicine, I give talks at schools to students about puberty — what changes occur physically,
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
The primary contributors to Pakistan’s pollution crisis are industrial emissions. Pakistan has long decried how it is among the countries worst affected by climate change. Even though it is a minor contributor to global pollution, a new study has found that in at least one pollution category, Pakistan
POLIO has emerged as a major challenge in Pakistan. It is not simply a challenge in the health sector, but has also become both a security and political issue. It has been reported that 74 polio cases emerged in the country last year. Pakistan now has the dubious
Just days ago, another police officer has been martyred while guarding a health team administering polio drops to kids in Pakistan. Since 2012 many hundreds of Pakistani law enforcers and health staff engaged in polio eradication have sacrificed their lives. In a recent article in The Lancet, Prof
AS most parents with young children will agree, the easiest way to pacify a bawling child is to hand them a smartphone, tablet, or other digital device. But though this might ensure temporary calm, the long-term effects of this practice — particularly the unsupervised use of digital devices