Association of consanguineous marriages with congenital anomalies Cousin marriages and birth defects

Congenital anomalies are a major health problem all over the world; especially it is important cause of deaths and birth defects, chronic illness and disability in infants. The major cause of this is consanguineous marriages. Generation of cousin marriages have significant association with congenital anomalies Objective: To find out the association of consanguineous marriages with congenital anomaliespresent at the time of birthMethods: A cross sectional study was conducted at District Head Quarter Hospital, Okarafrom May to August, 2018. 100 adult individuals aged between 19 to 55 years, with and without cousin marriage of both genders were consecutively enrolled. Participants were assessed through pre-tested questionnaire, with prior written informed consent. Unwilling married individuals and individuals from other hospitals were not selected Results: According to resultsthere was a significant association between generation of cousin marriages with congenital anomalies present at the time of birth, as p value was 0.002Conclusions: Study concluded that the generation of cousin marriages has significant association with congenital anomalies present at the time of birth and due to cousin marriage 59% of the couples had congenital abnormalities in their children and 85% had genetic disorders.

What Makes Public Schools Successful: Exploring the Contributory Factors Behind Successful Public Primary Schools in District Sukkur, Sindh

In Sindh, public education sector is the largest system that provides education for the majority of enrolled children. Although, there is a common perception that public sector schools are declining, there are still some examples of successful public schools in the province of Sindh. The purpose of this study is to find out some examples of successful public primary schools from Sindh and to explore the contributory factors behind those successful public primary schools. Within the qualitative paradigm multiple case study methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena. The study was exploratory in nature and carried out in three public primary schools of district Sukkur, Sindh. It includes headteachers, SMC members and senior teachers from selected schools and district education officers. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and field notes. Findings of the study reveal that the team work of competent and committed teachers and school leader is the major contributory factor behind the success of public primary schools. Furthermore, project-based interventions, official support and community involvement are supportive factors for school success. In brief, this research shows that there are examples of successful public schools in Sindh, which counters the assumption that all public schools are essentially failing. The research also suggests that there are various contributory factors which work in complex formulations to achieve the overall school success, however motivated teachers and school leader were found to be the biggest game-changer. It needs to be acknowledged that these schools are working in harsh circumstances and deserve appreciation. The findings of the study would certainly be beneficial for public schools having similar contextual realities, to improve and achieve success. It is also hoped that the findings of this research help create disjuncture within existing discourse of public versus private education.