Human body requires certain essential elements in small quantities and their absence or excess may result in severe malfunctioning of the body and even death in extreme cases because these essential trace elements directly influence the metabolic and physiologic processes of the organism. Rapid urbanization and economic development have resulted in drastic changes in diets with developing preference towards refined diet and nutritionally deprived junk food. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, augmented vulnerability to various oral and systemic diseases, impaired physical and mental growth, and reduced efficiency. Diet and nutrition affect oral health in a variety of ways with influence on craniofacial development and growth and maintenance of dental and oral soft tissues. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) are treated with antioxidants containing essential trace elements like selenium but even increased dietary intake of trace elements like copper could lead to oral submucous fibrosis. The deficiency or excess of other trace elements like iodine, iron, zinc, and so forth has a profound effect on the body and such conditions are often diagnosed through their early oral manifestations. This review appraises the biological functions of significant trace elements and their role in preservation of oral health and progression of various oral diseases.
Purpose of Review To revisit the importance of prevention strategies and policies in reducing the burden of ischemic heart disease in South Asian countries. Recent Findings South Asia has seen rapid growth in its population with variable improvement in health indicators such as life expectancy at birth over the last three decades. Parallel to these improvements, there has been a stark rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) but without a commensurate improvement in infrastructure/policies and health system interventions to address NCDs. South Asia is the epicenter of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) epidemic in Asia. It has a population that manifests accelerated atherosclerosis at a younger age. Poverty, lower health literacy, lack of health-promoting behaviors, poor urban design, rising air pollution, weak health systems, and lack and poor implementation of existing policies contribute to the continued rise in the incidence of CVD and the associated case fatality rates. Summary A relatively young population presents an opportunity for implementation of prevention measures now which if not adequately utilized will result in an exponential rise in the CVD burden. There is a large gap between policymaking and implementation in this part of the world. Economic realities further constrain coverage of prevention policies; and therefore, stronger collaboration between governments, stakeholders, civil society, and regional and international funding agencies is needed to universally implement prevention strategies in South Asia.
Background: Family engagement in the early years of a child’s life is one of the most powerful predictors of a child’s development. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, family engagement has been affected in numerous ways. Thus, this study aims to identify the perception of parents on the change in dynamics of family engagement between parents and their children during the pandemic in Pakistan.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was followed using an online survey. The survey was administered to parents to assess their perception related to the effect of COVID-19 on family engagement as a whole.Results: The 90 parents participated in this online survey majority of whom had children aged 9 years and above (n=30). Most of the parents talked to their children daily, had one mealtime together, watched Television, and spent time with each other daily. There were some statements over which the parents marked ‘frequently’ and ‘hardly ever’ such as doing exercise, reading to the child, and supervising screen time. Results of the study show that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected interactions between parents and their children.Conclusions: Family is the basic unit of society. It plays a significant role in establishing life-long positive relationships. Family is a child’s first exposure to a nurturing environment and impactful engagements which helps in growth and mental development. COVID-19 has posed an overwhelming burden and affected the social interactions of parents with children. Social media advocacy and schools have supported in providing resources for continued learning with the participation of other members of the family.
Poliomyelitis is a highly contagious and incurable disease, which mainly affects children under five years of age leading to irreversible paralysis and possibly death. For decades, both private and government organizations have been putting efforts through their partnership to eradicate polio completely from the different parts of the globe and as a result of those efforts there are left only three countries which are currently polio endemic. Since Pakistan is one of those three countries which still remain polio endemic along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, it is significant to address this issue and work on the preventive measures to control the incidence of such a lethal disease. In Pakistan, a program was introduced on immunization in 1978, known as Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). The main purpose of EPI was to reduce the burden of diseases like polio and tetanus. Although the number of polio cases has fallen due to the classic efforts of government and other NGOs, polio is not eradicated from Pakistan. This situation is thought provoking. Even after the great global efforts; polio is not eradicated from Pakistan. Multiple factors might have prevented the eradication of this deadly disease from our society.
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