Malnutrition is widespread in Pakistan, say experts

LAHORE

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Lahore, organised an advocacy workshop on “Management of Childhood Diarrhea with Zinc and Low Osmolarity in ORS” at a local hotel on Thursday.

PMA Central President Dr Ashraf Nizami chaired the session. Punjab chapter President Dr Izhar Ahmad Chaudhry, Lahore chapter President Prof Dr Ajmal Hasan Naqvi, renowned paediatrician Prof Dr Yaqoob Qazi, Dr Mubina Fatima, Dr Iram Shahzadi, Dr Wajid Ali, Dr Haq Nawaz Bharwana, Dr Tariq Mian, Dr Capt (retd) Arshad Humayun and other medical practitioners attended the workshop.

Renowned paediatrician Prof Dr Yaqoob Qazi, as keynote speaker, delivered a state-of-the-art lecture on malnutrition and management of childhood diarrhea and answered the questions of the medical practitioners.

Dr Ashraf Nizami said that stunting had become a social issue rather than a health issue as Pakistan had been ranked the third in the world with highest prevalence of stunting. “The population explosion has increased health issues especially the malnutrition among women and children,” he said, while emphasising to make comprehensive strategy to control population growth rate in the country.

The experts said that stunting occurred before the age of two and was largely irreversible, if not treated. Stunting is associated with delayed development and impaired cognitive function.

In Pakistan, the experts said, malnutrition was widespread among people of all ages, and progress to address social determinants over the last several decades had been very slow. According to the National Nutrition Survey 2011, one-third of all children are underweight, nearly 44pc are stunted, 15pc are wasted, half of them are anemic and almost one-third of these children have iron deficiency anemia. These rates have hardly changed over two decades according to the findings of a maternal and child nutrition study group published by Lancet in 2013. Notable differences can be found between the nutritional indicators of urban and rural populations; children among the rural and urban poor are at greatest risk. Among women, 14pc in the reproductive age bracket are thin or wasted (with a body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2) and this prevalence is highest among households that are food insecure.

Health programme: A weekly meeting was held Thursday in the chair of Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan to review the progress of different wings.

According to a handout issued here, the meeting reviewed internal traffic lights to examine the performance of different sections and vertical health programmes. It also examined the performance of DGHS office, administration affairs, and the performance of different programmes initiated for the eradication of diseases besides, examining the matters pertaining to drug wing.

Special Secretary/DG Health Dr Faisal Zahoor, additional secretaries, members of the PMU, directors of vertical programmes for the eradication of different diseases as well as representatives of international development partners attended the meeting.

Ali Jan Khan said the weekly meetings help to monitor the performance besides giving an understanding about the updated situation of different departments. He expressed his satisfaction about the performance of the department and directed that the officers and other staff should continue working with diligence so that people could get the best healthcare facilities.

result: University of Health Sciences (UHS) has announced the result of first professional BSc Nursing (Post RN 2-Year) annual examination.

According to a press release issued here Thursday, a total of 194 candidates from eight affiliated institutes appeared in the examination, out of which, 175 passed and 14 failed. The pass percentage remained 92.59.

Chanda Shahzadi got first position securing 352/400 marks. Sahar Shahzadi and Kashef Rafiq got second and third positions securing 350/400 and 349/400 marks respectively.

Hepatitis: Post Graduate Medical Institute and Lahore General Hospital Principal Prof Ghiyas un Nabi Tayyab has said that execution of Punjab Hepatitis Prevention and Control Programme is need of the hour to materialise the health vision of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

According to a handout issued here on Thursday, the principal said that the programme would go a long way towards controlling hepatitis and provision of medical facilities to patients free of cost. Under the programme, hepatitis clinics would be set up at the tehsil and district level which will help patients find data and screening of their diseases. 

Prof Ghias un Nabi Tayyab stressed upon the specialist doctors of PGMI, students of Ameer ud Din Medical College and nursing students to enthusiastically participate in the campaign of sensitising people about hepatitis, especially the people living in the far-flung areas must be made aware  of free screening and registration facilities. All the stakeholders must be taken on board to launch a vigorous awareness campaign in connection with prevention against hepatitis, he added.

The principal said that used blades, unsterilised instruments of dentistry, repeated usage of syringes and non-tested blood transfusion had multiplied the spread of hepatitis in the country.