Evaluation of diet as a risk factor in the development of childhood leukaemia: a case control study.

Objective: To evaluate probable association of dietary risk factors with childhood leukaemia.

Methods: The case-control study was conducted at the Children Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January to December 2017, and comprised children of either gender aged 2-12 years with recently diagnosed acute lymphocytic or acute myelocytic leukaemia An age and gender matched equal group of healthy children was taken as controls. Dietary-intake data was collected for six food groups, namely raw vegetables, fresh fruits, packed fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, junk foods, and processed/precooked food items.

Health sector reforms programme in Punjab: a primary healthcare initiative.

Punjab is the largest province of Pakistan with a population of over 85 million. Provision of equal access to primary healthcare is a mammoth task in this developing country with well known resource constraints. Punjab has a network of 2748 primary healthcare (PHC) facilities spread over an area of 205,345 km2.