Uptake and determinants of HPV vaccination in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cervical cancer burden in South Asia is among the highest globally. Due to the lack of national immunization programs, the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccine uptake remains unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the prevalence of HPV vaccine uptake in South Asia.

Investigating the role of in intrinsic resistance to multiple drugs in .

Unlabelled: The increasing clinical significance of is owed to its innate high-level, broad-spectrum resistance to antibiotics and therefore rapidly evolves as an important human pathogen. This warrants the identification of novel targets for aiding the discovery of new drugs or drug combinations to treat infections. This study is inspired by the drug-hypersensitive profile of a mutant (U14) with transposon insertion in .

Piecing together Pakistan's health system and global health security.

Pakistan's health system has a critical role to play in global health security, however, it faces numerous structural and systemic challenges while contributing to international health efforts. Understanding the dynamics of health system is essential for developing effective strategies to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies, ensuring regional stability, and the overall global health security This paper documents the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistan's health systems, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges such as funding constraints and fragmented healthcare delivery, threats including antimicrobial resistance, and the importance of international collaboration. Anti-microbial particularly multi-drug resistance, food safety in emergencies, surge capacity of the frontline workforce, patient safety at the health care facilities to curtail healthcare associated infections, and strengthening the points of entry are still the areas that need special attention.

Strength in silence: the journey of mothers raising children with hydrocephalus.

Background: Raising a child with hydrocephalus can be very challenging, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, mothers being the primary caregivers for their hydrocephalic children are under tremendous stress.

Methods: This study explores the challenges faced by Pakistani mothers raising children with hydrocephalus, employing a qualitative methodology through focus group discussions comprising ten mothers of hydrocephalic babies at Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.

Epidemiological trends and age-period-cohort effects on cardiovascular diseases burden attributable to ambient air pollution across BRICS.

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution raises the risk of deaths and morbidity worldwide. From 1990 to 2019, we observed the epidemiological trends and age-period-cohort effects on the cardiovascular diseases (CVD) burden attributable to ambient air pollution across Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). The number of CVD deaths related to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution increased nearly fivefold in China [5.

Perceptions of health care workers on maternal and child health services in Pakistan during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Maternal and child healthcare service delivery in vulnerable and fragile health systems has suffered a tremendous impact owing to the shift in focus to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child healthcare services to inform policy advice for a more resilient maternal and child healthcare service delivery in Pakistan.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted.

Molecular mechanisms of resistance and treatment efficacy of clofazimine and bedaquiline against .

Clofazimine (CFZ) and bedaquiline (BDQ) are currently used for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) () strains. In recent years, adding CFZ and BDQ to tuberculosis (TB) drug regimens against MDR strains has significantly improved treatment results, but these improvements are threatened by the emergence of MDR and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. Recently, CFZ and BDQ have attracted much attention for their strong clinical efficacy, although very little is known about the mechanisms of action, drug susceptibility test (DST), resistance mechanisms, cross-resistance, and pharmacokinetics of these two drugs.

Barriers experienced by community midwives to provide basic emergency obstetric and newborn care in rural Pakistan.

Background: Considering the high maternal mortality rate, the government of Pakistan has deployed Community Midwives (CMWs) in rural areas of Pakistan. This relatively new cadre of community-based skilled birth attendants has previously reported to experience several challenges in providing maternal and child healthcare. However, what barriers they experience in providing basic emergency obstetric and newborn care needs to be further studied.

Factors associated with maternal health services utilization in Pakistan: Evidence from Pakistan maternal mortality survey, 2019.

Background: This study investigates the factors associated with maternal health services utilization in Pakistan using two outcome indicators, ideal antenatal care (IANC), defined as the pregnant woman receiving all the essential services included in standard antenatal care, and skilled birth attendance (SBA).

Methods: This study used the Pakistan Maternal Mortality Survey 2019 data. The study utilized binary logistic regression models to investigate the adjusted association between the outcome variables, separately for IANC and SBA, and the independent variables, education, wealth, parity, and residence.

Respectful Maternal Care Experience in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

: Respectful maternity care promotes practices that acknowledge women's preferences and women and newborns' needs. It is an individual-centered strategy founded on ethical and human rights principles. The objective of this systematic review is to identify the impact of income on maternal care and respectful maternity care in low- and middle-income countries.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Blood Pressure Reduction Based on Disease Control Priorities 3 in Pakistan to Manage and Control Hypertension.

Introduction: According to American Heart Association standards, hypertension is classified into three stages based on blood pressure measurements: essential hypertension, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension. The global target is to reduce the prevalence of high blood pressure by 25% by the year 2025. Worldwide, the prevalence of high blood pressure among men and women aged 18 and above reported to be 24% and 20%, respectively.

Correlates of early initiation of breast feeding and prelacteal feeding: a cross-sectional study in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of early initiation of breast feeding and prelacteal feeding in highly disadvantaged districts in Pakistan.

Design: This cross-sectional study design.

Settings: This study was carried out in twelve districts of the Sindh province of Pakistan.

Immunity against Delta and Omicron variants elicited by homologous inactivated vaccine booster in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: A third mRNA vaccine booster is recommended to improve immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, the immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Ancestral strain and Delta and Omicron variants elicited by the third dose of inactivated booster vaccine in KTRs remains unknown.

Methods: The blood parameters related to blood cells count, hepatic function, kidney function, heart injury and immunity were explored clinically from laboratory examinations.

Postnatal women's perception on person-centered maternity care in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad: a descriptive study.

Background: Person-Centered Maternity Care (PCMC) is known as one of the most important components of maternal care. Every woman has the ultimate right of respectful health care. Previous research documents that lack of supportive care and respectful behavior experienced by pregnant women can act as a barrier to the utilization of health care services.

Omicron variants breakthrough infection elicited higher specific memory immunity than third dose booster in healthy vaccinees.

Homologous booster, heterologous booster, and Omicron variants breakthrough infection (OBI) could improve the humoral immunity against Omicron variants. Questions concerning about memory B cells (MBCs) and T cells immunity against Omicron variants, features of long-term immunity, after booster and OBI, needs to be explored. Here, comparative analysis demonstrate antibody and T cell immunity against ancestral strain, Delta and Omicron variants in Omicron breakthrough infected patients (OBIPs) are comparable to that in Ad5-nCoV boosted healthy volunteers (HVs), higher than that in inactivated vaccine (InV) boosted HVs.

Experience of psychologists in the delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy in a non-western culture for treatment of substance abuse: a qualitative study.

Background: Psychotherapy is the preferred form of treatment for psychological disorders worldwide. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used psychotherapies due to its proven efficacy for psychological disorders, including substance abuse. However, CBT was developed in the West according to the culture of developed countries.

Improving psychosocial distress for young adolescents in rural schools of Pakistan: study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Emotional problems are leading contributors to health burden among adolescents worldwide. There is an urgent need for evidence-based psychological interventions for young people. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based, group psychological intervention, Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) developed by the WHO to improve psychosocial distress in Pakistani adolescents.

In-vivo () and in-vitro Assimilation and Toxicity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Food Materials.

Purpose: Recent advances in nanotechnology have given rise to the potential utilization of nanoparticles as food, nano-medicine/biomedicines.

Patient: The study aimed to investigate the effects of nano-zinc oxide (nano-zinc) on the bio-assimilation of mineral (Zn) in mice, aged 3-6 weeks.

Methods: ZnO nanoparticles were added to the basal diet as a supplement at amounts of 0.