Maternal and newborn mortality are critical global health concerns. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.8 (SDGs), which aims to improve these outcomes, is hindered by the poor quality of care in health facilities, a significant barrier to the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) services in Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the barriers to the underutilization of ANC services in Tehsil (sub-division of a district) Hazro, Punjab, Pakistan, from the perspective of pregnant women. The study employed four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 36 pregnant women who had attended at least three ANC visits. Data were collected through purposive sampling and analyzed using NVivo 12, ensuring rigor through Lincoln and Guba’s guiding principles. The findings revealed three key themes, following the three delays model: 1. Decision to Seek Care, 2. Delay in Reaching Healthcare Facilities, and 3. Delay in Acquiring Satisfactory and Appropriate Health Care. Women often made the decision to seek care with the support of their spouse, family, and lady health workers, highlighting the importance of their decision-making autonomy. Financial constraints did not significantly hinder access to healthcare services. However, long distances, travel time, and associated costs were identified as major barriers. Most importantly, the majority of women lacked awareness of danger signs and the importance of seeking timely medical help. This issue was compounded by the unavailability of healthcare personnel, negative staff attitudes, insufficient medicines and equipment, and a lack of referral services. This descriptive study underscores the urgent need for affordable, accessible, and responsive maternal and child healthcare. To address these barriers, stakeholders − including policymakers, public health experts, and maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) providers − must prioritize MNCH initiatives and reforms. Collaborative efforts are crucial to translating MNCH policies into effective strategies at the community level.

Background: Oral health skills (OHS) programs about brushing techniques have been found to have a lasting impact when repetition and reinforcement are used. Existing dental research doesn't apply to school-based surgeon-led oral health skill programs. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of Oral Health Skills with regard to proper brushing techniques, based upon repetition and reinforcement on the oral health status of school children through the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs. Methodology: A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted in a public school of Rawalpindi with 100 students (ages 13-17) demonstrating proper brushing techniques. These students were given intervention for OHS to demonstrate proper brushing technique. Other forms of awareness such as panaflexes and brochures were also shared. Brushing techniques were demonstrated and examined on dummies. Students received four OHS sessions at weeks 0, 3, and months 3 and 6, each followed by oral examinations by a dentist. Results: Proper brushing technique habit at the baseline was 1%. Which rose to 66% at the end of intervention. The CPITN index of participants at baseline was 1.06 and after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd intervention lowered to, 0.94, 0.68, and 0.28 respectively. Paired t-test was conducted with findings of p < 0.001. This highly significant result proved that it is advantageous to include OHS based on repetition and reinforcement to improve the oral health status of children. Conclusion: Programs promoting Oral Health Skills with a focus on repetition and reinforcement have a long-lasting impact on the oral health status of school children.

Background/Objectives: Pakistan has not adopted front-of-package warning labels, and no validated, task-based instrument had previously measured nutrition label literacy among Pakistani adults. This study aimed to measure nutrition label literacy among adult grocery consumers in Islamabad, describe performance on individual tasks, identify socio-demographic correlates, and examine whether self-reported barriers differ by measured literacy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 400 adult consumers (73.0% response rate) at six retail sites spanning three socioeconomic tiers in Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, using systematic intercept sampling. Label literacy was measured with a culturally adapted, bilingual Urdu/English version of the Newest Vital Sign (NVS-PK). Socio-demographic correlates were examined with multiple linear and binary logistic regression, and self-reported barriers were ranked and compared across literacy categories. Results: Mean NVS-PK score was 1.89 of 6 (SD = 1.71); 81.0% of participants scored in the limited-or-marginal range and only 19.0% reached adequate literacy. Performance was weakest on arithmetic tasks (14.8–29.2% correct) and strongest on a document-based allergen-identification task (66.8% correct). Educational attainment was the strongest independent correlate: compared with Intermediate education or below, postgraduate participants scored significantly higher (B = 1.64, 95% CI 1.17–2.10, p < 0.001) and had markedly higher odds of adequate literacy (AOR = 8.72, 95% CI 3.88–19.60, p < 0.001). Technical terminology (70.2%) and time pressure (64.0%) were the most reported barriers to label use. Conclusions: Most adults sampled in Islamabad could not adequately use a standard nutrition label, and the deficit was primarily arithmetic rather than reading.

Tuberculosis is highly contagious with an estimated global incidence of 10 million in 2018. Pakistan has the world’s 5^th highest Tuberculosis burden. Achieving adequate responsiveness remains an elusive challenge for Pakistan's health system. Many factors regarding eight dimensions of the health system responsiveness are leading to a huge number of missing cases, loss to follow up and treatment failure and thus burden of the disease is increasing significantly. Objectives: To explore the perspective of health care providers and patients regarding the responsiveness. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital, Quetta from February 2021 to July 2021. Two Focus Group Discussions comprising of 8-12 Health Care Providers of Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital were conducted. Non- Probability purposive sampling was employed. Thematic Analysis was done. Results: Advance technology, communication barrier, basic facilities, and patient overflow were four overlapping themes that emerged from focus group discussion of health care providers. Conclusions: Overall results and findings indicate that there is a need for investment in both material and structured improvements at Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital and improvement of services at primary level to reduce burden at tertiary care hospital like Fatima Jinnah.