Environmental pollutants significantly impact health and quality of life. High levels of harmful metals in drinking water, vegetables, and soil can accumulate in the body, leading to serious health issues. In Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, the prevalence of cancer is notably high, and heavy metals are considered among the possible risk factors. In this study, the distribution of heavy metals, e.g., Cd, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ni, in the drinking water, vegetables, and soil in the Gilgit and Skardu Districts was assessed. A geo-accumulation index was combined with a deterministic technique to examine potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic impacts on human health. Cr and Ni levels in drinking water exceeded the permissible limits from both districts. Drinking water had a HQ > 1 for Cd, Cr, Ni, and Mn, posing significant non-carcinogenic health effects. The lifetime cancer risk (LCR) by drinking water for Cd, Cr, and Ni in Gilgit (0.0087, 0.55, and 0.0048) and Skardu (0.071, 0.21, and 0.014) indicated a considerable cancer risk (>1 × 10⁻⁴) for adults. The cancer risk for vegetable intake was observed within the safe limit, while LCR_ingetsion > LCR_dermal and LCR_inhalation for the soil samples in both regions. These findings highlight the need for regular monitoring, enhanced waste management, and advanced purification methods to reduce cancer risk, lower heavy metal contamination, and safeguard public health in the region.

The current investigation was performed to explore the nutritional and functional composition of four landlines of barley denoted as LB₁ (Gilgit), LB₂ (Nagar), LB₃ (Skardu), and LB₄ (Shigar) from different regions of Gilgit‐Baltistan. The samples were examined for nutritional profile and antioxidant attributes. Total phenolic values and total flavonoid results were in the range of 1.2 to 3.1 mg/g and 0.41 to 0.55 mg/g, respectively. Nutritional profile as crude starch, fiber, protein, ash, and fat ranged from 56.3%–50.80%, 16.50%–11.73%, 16.20%–11.53%, 2.8%–2.1%, and 2.63%–1.63%, respectively. The mineral composition in terms of Mg (527–616 mg/kg) was higher in the landlines followed by Ca (312–368 mg/kg), Na (122.6–146.6 mg/kg), Fe (43.3–65.6 mg/kg), and Zn (22.5–26.6 mg/kg). It was concluded that the indigenous barley landlines had immense nutritional potential and functional attributes. Thus, it can be used for value‐added food products and the development of cottage industry in the region.

Background: Anemia poses a significant global health challenge and has a significant influence regarding both morbidity and mortality across diverse demographics. This cross-sectional study aim to assess the prevalence and risk variables associated with anemia in different age groups within the culturally diverse population of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Methods: The prevalence of anemia within each age group was determined through hemoglobin (Hb) level assessment using Hemocue Hb 201+ (HemoCue AB, Ängelholm, Sweden). This analysis encompassed various gender categories and examined the risk variables which contributing to anemia in GB. Samples were collected from different regions in order to obtain a representative sample of the population. A total of 720 individuals (386 males and 334 females) participated in this study. Results: About 32.40% males (65.2% mild, 31.7% moderate and 3.1% severe) and 56.07% females (36.5% mild, 46.3% moderate and 17.2% severe) were found anemic. Prevalence of anemia in male were highest in the age group 20-40 years (31.2%), followed by age group 10-19 years (26.4%) as compared to age group 41-60 (19.2%) and above 61 years (23.2%) and there mean hemoglobin level (Hb) was 11.98 ± 0.90 g/dL. Among females the highest prevalence were found in reproductive age 20-40 years (37.3%) and age between 10-19 (29.4%), followed by the age group 41-60 (13.4%) and above 61 years (19.7%) and mean hemoglobin level (Hb) was 9.93 ± 0.83 g/dL. Risk variables include socio economic status of respondents, the higher prevalence was found in lower class of the population (37.7% males and 43.6% Females). Conclusion: The findings highlight the vulnerability of both genders to anemia in GB. Addressing this public health concern requires research extending beyond the prevalence and socio-demographic factors. Future efforts should focus on developing iron-enriched formulas from locally accessible staple foods in GB to effectively combat this alarming condition.