Proposing Sociological Research on Children Health Problems in Pakistan

Like many low-income countries, Pakistan is facing children’s health problems. The major health problems affecting children in the country are Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, Measles, Malaria and malnutrition. There is much research has already been conducted on biomedical and epidemiological aspects of these health problems, but little is known about the social and cultural dimensions of children’s health issues. This paper attempts to propose the sociological research on children’s health problems in Pakistan with the emic focus on local context. The proposed future research may mainly be situated in the interpretivist paradigm of qualitative inquiry. Thus, it will contribute in up-scaling the very basic understanding of the meaning formed by people about social determinants of prevailing children health problems and their potential hazardous consequences in Pakistan.

The Diagnostic Yield of Current Practice of Paediatric Intravenous Urography in Afghanistan in Presence of Ultrasonography; Cross-Sectional Analytic Study at Fmic, Kabul

Background: Intravenous urography (IVU); the oldest imaging method for assessing the upper urinary tract anatomy and function; is now seldom used in the paediatric population. The important concern associated with IVU is the radiation exposure. Due to various reasons, IVU is still widely practiced in paediatrics in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Ultrasonography (USG) is universally accepted as the first-line imaging modality in paediatric uroradiology. It is inexpensive, immediate, painless, radiation-free, non-invasive and widely available.Objectives: To assess the diagnostic value of current practice of paediatric IVU in presence of USG in Afghanistan Methods and material: A prospective cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on paediatric patients at radiology department of FMIC. First USG of urinary tract was done for all participants, followed by IVU. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23. The diagnostic value of IVU was considered positive when it could provide additional information over USG and negative if it could not give any addition information over USG.Results: The diagnostic value of IVU was found positive in 6.5% while it was negative in (93.5%) cases. Conclusion: IVU can be largely replaced by USG in the paediatric population and if really clinically needed, its indications should always be judged according to clinical context and USG findings.