Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the last several decades. Due to poor socioeconomic status, food insecurity and inadequate access to health care, these refugees are considered to be at high risk of malnutrition. Previous studies on nutritional assessment of high-risk populations (refugees) have focused mainly on women and children (0–59 months). The current study aims to assess nutritional status of adolescent Afghan refugees; the population who are equally vulnerable to malnutrition and its consequences. In this cross sectional study, the nutritional status of 206 adolescent (10–19 years old) Afghans boys and girls living in a refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan was assessed using standard methods. The results indicate a prevalence of stunting, thinness, and overweight and obesity at 35.3%, 4.4% and 14.8%, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significantly high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies (vitamin D, 80.5%; vitamin B12, 41.9%; and folate, 28.2%); and anemia (10.1%). Together, these findings indicate that this vulnerable population group suffers from the double burden of malnutrition and are thus at serious risk of impaired psychosocial cognitive development, general ill-health and diminished wellbeing. This study therefore highlights the urgent need to include adolescents in regular screening and intervention programs of such at-risk populations.

A growing body of research evidence suggests that elevated homocysteine level (hyperhomocysteinemia) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for hyperhomocysteinemia among adolescent Afghan refugees aged 10–19 years. In total, 206 healthy adolescent boys and girls were randomly recruited from a refugee village in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 2020. Socio-demographic data, anthropometric assessment, and blood sample collection were performed following standard methods. Serum homocysteine was assessed using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, with hyperhomocysteinemia defined as levels ≥ 15 µmol/L. The overall prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 25%, with mean homocysteine levels significantly (p = 0.004) higher among boys (14.1 µmol/L) than girls (11.8 µmol/L). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between hyperhomocysteineimia and serum levels of vitamin B12 (OR 0.29; 95% CI of 0.14 to 0.62; p < 0.01) and folate (OR 0.1; 95% CI of 0.03 to 0.27; p < 0.001). Overall, our study findings indicate high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia among adolescent Afghan refugees who are potentially at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in future. There is a dire need to develop and implement nutritional and public health strategies to control hyperhomocysteinemia, protect against related diseases and complications in future, and ensure healthy lives and well-being among these vulnerable populations.

Objective: To evaluate the concentration of zinc inthe blood and seminal plasma with semen parameters between fertile and infertile males Methodology: This prospective study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Hayatabad medical complex, Peshawar. Fifty (50)infertile males, not receiving any treatment and had regularintercourse for 1 yearaged 25-45 years were selected from HMC. They were divided into 35oligospermia and 15 azoospermic. 35 fertile males were nominatedamongthe overallresidents and were taken as the control group after their semen analysis was taken as normozoospermic. According to WHO criteria semen is analyzed. With the help of 5br Serum and seminal plasma zinc were estimated. Result: There was a significant difference found in serum and seminal levels of zinc in normozoospermic, oligospermia (p less than 0.05), and azoospermic (p-value less than 0.05) individuals. The correlation of seminal plasma zinc with sperm counts showed a positive association with the count of sperm and a negative association with motility of sperm in normozoospermic/oligospermia and a negative association of concentration with pH, and volume, WBC in all groups. No association was found with the morphology of sperm. Conclusion: It has been concluded that zinc interfered with fertility by having a considerable impact on many semen parameters. It suggests that measuring seminal plasma zinc could be useful for diagnosing and treating male infertility.