Frequency of diseases among flood affected individuals at relief camps of Karachi Pakistan

To determine the frequency of diseases among flood affected individuals and facilities available at relief camps of Karachi Pakistan. A cross sectional study. This study was conducted at the Department of Community Medicine, Sindh Medical College, DUHS, Karachi from July 2010 to Nov. 2010. A cross sectional study was conducted and data was collected by using a structured questionnaire. A sample size of 300 flood affected individuals were drawn by using convenient sampling methods from four different flood camps located in Karachi. Out of the 300 case studied cases studied 46.0% had malaria, 90.5% of malarial patients admitted that they did not use mosquito repellents or nettings to protect themselves. About 27.3% suffered from diarrhea and 26.7% had skin infections. Adequate water supply was supplied to 66.7% of the patients. This study concluded that malaria had higher frequency at relief camps of Karachi followed by diarrhea and skin infections

Age and symptomatology of menopause in Karachi, Pakistan

Menopause depicts end of woman's reproductive life usually occurring between ages 45 and 55. Many studies have been carried out to determine the mean age at menopause in different countries. In Pakistan, the greatest hurdle is ascertainment of correct age of women causing difficulty in determining the correct age at menopause. The objective of this study was to overcome this hurdle and to determine the mean age at menopause and occurrence of different symptoms at menopause in Pakistan. An observational cross sectional study was carried out in which the correct ages of 212 women from different hospitals, workplaces and housewives were estimated using Matriculation Certificates and/or National Identification Cards between February-November 2004. Age at menopause and associated symptoms were recorded. Menopausal age of the subjects' mothers was also documented. Epi Info Version 3.3 was used for data analysis. Mean age at menopause was determined to be 44.5 years [ +/- 0.8 years] ranging from 32-62 years. The predominant symptom experienced was hot flashes [82%]. There was no significant negative impact of menopause on libido in our subjects [p>0.05]. A significant similarity was observed between menopausal ages of 110 women and their mothers [p<0.001]. Mean age at menopause in Karachi, Pakistan is significantly lower than in West, which highlights need for studying social, economic and cultural basis of this difference. However, strong conclusions about menopausal age can only be made by large scale population-based studies. The symptoms experienced are similar as elsewhere in the world, although occurring with varying frequencies. There is a familial pattern to the onset of menopause