Child labour in relation to poverty- a study in urban settlement of Karachi, Pakistan

Child labour is recognized as worst form of abuse and exploitation of children. The Convention on Rights of Child urges the Governments to take effective measures for its eradication. The fundamental rights of child as survival, education, protection and development are grossly violated by child labour. To collect information on dimensions of working children and to establish relation between poverty and child labour. From July 2006 to November 2006 in Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan. Cross sectional study using structured questionnaire. Respondents were 168 males and 32 female children, who were selected by systematic random sampling. A total of 200 children of 5-15 years of age were randomly selected. Mean age of children was 10.5 years with male to female ratio 5:1.Twenty four percent of children were collecting papers from streets and garbage dumps, 21% were working in auto workshops as helping hands/ learning some form of skills, while 16% were doing street work as car washing, selling news papers, flowers, balloon, hair clips etc. Twenty four percent children earned Rs 20-40 per day. It was observed that 83% children belonged to poor segment of society. Poverty has direct impact and relation with child labour

Health education - the neglected front: a study of health awareness among young females of Karachi

Objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of primary healthcare amongst young females attending primary healthcare centers in Karachi East. This Cross- sectional study was carried out at Primary health care centers in Malir Cantt from April 2006 to September 2006. Out of a total 1800 households of lower grade government employees a convenient sample of 300 females aged 25-35 years, married 8-10 years and attending various health care centers in Malir Cantt for at least five years were included in the study. A closed ended structured questionnaire was administered to the study participants and filled in by the interviewers themselves. Descriptive diferrential statistics [frequency and confidence interval] were calculated. The results of the study regarding Breast feeding and nutrition section showed that only 11% mothers started breast feed within 2 hours of delivery while 87% of them discarded colostrums as useless during initial breast wash. Bottle feeding and weaning was initiated within 4 months of baby's age in 73% and 86% of the respondents respectively. Thirty five percent respondents had some idea of hand washing as an important hygiene practice and 21% considered Oral rehydration salt [ORS] as an effective treatment of diarrhea in children and merely 9% knew about constitution of home based ORS. There were more than 3 children in 64% of families and 73% had narrow child spacing of less than 2 years. Only 17% had successfully used any contraceptive for full 2 years. Anti- anemic prescription was offered to 92% of antenatal women and only 31% complied with its usage. Only 32% mothers possessed complete and up-to-date EPI vaccination cards of their wards

Family planning: knowledge, attitude and practice among married couples in northern Pakistan

To assess knowledge, attitude and practice among married couples regarding contraceptive measures in Baltistan [Northern Areas of Pakistan]. Cross sectional study The study was carried out in Baltistan, which is a district in northern areas of Pakistan with headquarter at Skardu. Duration of study was from June 2002 to August 2003. A study was done on married couples with female partner of childbearing age. A study questionnaire was designed and response was obtained from 200 randomly selected married couples [females: 152, males: 48], which reported to health care facilities for some other minor ailment. Majority of the study participants [67%] were of the view that rapidly increasing population is a problem affecting socioeconomic development of the country. There is wide gap between knowledge and practice of family planning. The contraceptive prevalence rate of Baltistan is 8.5% much low from rest of the country, which is above 36%. Important reasons for not using contraceptive measures were that family planning was considered against religious, beside illiteracy, poverty and poor communication. Most of the respondents were in support of early marriage for girls. Efforts are required from family welfare programme, besides long-term measures such as enhancement of women literacy