شاہ نادر خان
حادثۂ افغانستان
اکتوبر ۱۹۳۳ء میں افغانستان کو جاتے ہوئے، نومبر کے لئے جب میں شذرات قلمبند کررہا تھا تو یہ خیال نہ تھا کہ میری واپسی اس قدر جلد ہوگی اور اسی طرح ۳۰؍ اکتوبر کی صبح کو کابل سے روانہ ہوتے ہوئے یہ خیال بھی نہ تھا کہ ۸؍ نومبر ۱۹۳۳ء کو سہ پہر کو افغانستان میں یہ عظیم الشان واقعہ پیش آئے گا، ۳؍ نومبر کی رات کو غزنین و قندھار و چمن ہوکر میں اور ڈاکٹر سر اقبال کوئٹہ پہنچے اور میں ملتان میں دو روز ٹھہر کر ۸ کی دوپہر کو لکھنؤ پہنچا اور ۹ کی صبح کو شاہ نادر خاں کی شہادت کی وہ خبر سنی جس کا وہم و گمان بھی نہ تھا۔
افغانستان کی سرزمین ناگہانی سیاسی واقعات کے ظہور کے لیے ہمیشہ سے مشہور ہے، مگر آج جب دشمن ہر قدم پر کمین میں ہیں، اس قسم کے واقعہ کا پیش آنا حد درجہ افسوسناک ہے، افسوس اشخاص کی حیات و موت کا اتنا نہیں، جتنا افغان قوم کی حیات و موت کا ہے۔
ہم کو معلوم ہے کہ اس وقت ملک کی ترقی کے لئے وہاں کیا کیا تدابیر زیر غور تھیں، مگر افسوس کہ واقعات نے اب نیا پہلو بدلا ہے تاہم ہم کو امید ہے کہ موجودہ کار فرمایان حکومت کی دانشمندی سے مصیبت کی وہ بلائیں افغانستان کے سرسے دور ہوجائیں گی، جو اس وقت منڈلا رہی ہیں۔
دعا ہے کہ شاہ شہید کو مغفرت اور ملک کو امن و امان نصیب ہو۔
(سید سلیمان ندوی، نومبر ۱۹۳۳ء)
Menstruation is a normal physiological process unique to females. Pre-menarche is characterized by physiological, cognitive, and psychological transitions which may be initiated from the midst of their second decade. The onset of puberty/ menstruation in girls tends to change their role in society. Overall inadequate awareness levels accompanied by socio-cultural taboos and prevailing myths and misconceptions about menarche and menstruation have played havoc on human society. Objective: To diagnose and compare the prevailing level ofknowledge, attitude, and practices of adolescent girls studying in government and private schoolstowards menstrual hygiene and management. Methods: This Analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Jouhar Girls High School and Shiblee Grammar School System, Gulberg Branch (private) Faisalabad. A self-administered survey-based questionnaire was developed. Prior formal written approval from school authorities was followed by the pre-planned scheduled visits, explaining the purpose of the study, assuring confidentiality of acquired information, and self-administration of survey-based questionnaires. Results: The results indicated that the mean age at menarches of the girls was 13.69±0.95 years. A relatively more percentage of government (59.6%) school respondents followed by private school respondents (57.1%) had satisfactory knowledge about their age of first menarche (p = 0.806). Motivated by the socio-cultural taboos and /or fear or shame a majority of government (59.6%) and private school respondents (57.1%) had satisfactory knowledge about their age of first menarche (p = 0.806). A strong prevalence of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) was found in private school girls 87(49.2%) and 21(11.9%), followed by respective percentages of 78(43.8%), 16(9.0%) amongst the government school respondents who recorded their responses as agreed and strongly agreed about the development of reproductive tract infection in the post-menstruation period. As far as the adoption of hygienic practices is concerned a relatively high percentage of government school 28(15.7%) followed by private school 14(7.9%) girls strongly disagreed about changing their absorbent material on daily basis. The development of skin abrasions like rashes, itching, and urinary tract infection was found in a relatively high proportion amongst the government school girls 30(16.9%) followed by private school respondents 18(10.2%) in the post-menstruation period. A most common and alarming unhygienic practice prevalent amongst the government and private school girls was the reuse of absorbent cloth, who responded as agreed and strongly agreed in respective terms as 43(24.2%), 22(12.4%), and 69(39%) and 28(15.8%). Conclusions: The study concluded that the persistent myths, misconceptions, socio-cultural taboos, and unhygienic practices i.e. Use of old clothes as absorbent, reuse of absorbent material, and delaying tendency of changing absorbent, amongst the adolescent school girls of government and private institutes which may pose direct adverse health and life quality concerns for the female Pakistani community. The current situation calls for active participatory contributions from education communities to initiate various communication and awareness campaigns regarding pre-menarche knowledge and menstruation management which may aid to strengthen and transform their role as a significant representative of society.
The present study was designed to synthesize some innovative multifunctional polymeric excipients for improved efficacy and site-specific delivery of antiLeishmanial drugs. Therefore, mannose anchored thiolated chitosan-graftedpolyethyleneimine (M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA) polymeric excipient was synthesized and utilized for the development of first-line Meglumine Antimoniate (MA) antiLeishmanial drug nanoformulation to address the cellular bioavailability limitations. On the other hands, mannose anchored thiolated chitosan (M-CS-TGA) polymeric excipient was manufactured for the production of second-line Amphotericin B (AmB) anti-Leishmanial drug nanoformulation to reduce off-target adverse events by specific pathological organs reservoirs delivery. The newly synthesized M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA polymeric excipient graft was evaluated for Trypanothione Reductase (TR) enzyme inhibition as a potential target. The observed hydrodynamic size of M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA based MA nanoformulation and M-CS-TGA based AmB nanoformulation was found to be 287 ± 20 and 482 ± 17 respectively, with positive zeta-potential and low PDI. M- (CS-g-PEI)-TGA based MA nanoformulation showed the maximum macrophage internalization uptake of 61.47 ± 0.25 µg/106 cells. The flow cytometry analysis against Leishmania donovani infected macrophage model demonstrated 7.9- and 23-folds enhanced efficacy of M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA based MA nanoformulation and M-CS-TGA based AmB nanoformulation as compared to MA and AmB, respectively. The results of in-vivo BALB/c mice visceral Leishmaniasis model for M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA based MA nanoformulation displayed 5.22-fold decreased parasitic burden (p < 0.0001) compared to that of MA. For maximum selective targeting of the pathological organ while minimizing exposure to the organs prone to toxic effects, in vivo tissue distribution study, was conducted. M-CS-TGA based AmB nanoformulation showed a higher concentration of AmB (101 mg) in the liver as compared to the native AmB drug (43 mg). But in the case of the kidney, the M-CS-TGA based AmB nanoformulation revealed less concentration of AmB with respect to native AmB drug. Inorder to establish the safety profile of the AmB nanoformulation, the acute oral toxicity in female Swiss mice did not show any evident change in cellular morphology supporting the safety of M-CS-TGA due to renal clearance. The oral pharmacokinetic studies showed that M-(CS-g-PEI)-TGA based nanoformulation and M-CS-TGA based nanoformulation significantly enhanced bioavailability of MA and AmB respectively. The observed enhanced pharmacokinetic profile might be due to permeation enhancing potential of synthesized polymeric excipients. Based on these findings, incorporation of new multifunctional polymeric excipients for the development of macro phage targeted nano formulation seems to be a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy and safety of the anti-Leishmanial drug.