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The objective of this manuscript is to propose a Healthcare Waste Management (HWM) model for the safe disposal of healthcare waste which should be comprehensive, environment friendly and in an integrated form. This descriptive analytical study was done and based upon the factors associated with the poor handling of healthcare waste at Shalamar Hospital Lahore from November, 2008 to December, 2010 in healthcare facilities (HCFs) situated in Punjab, Pakistan, a model has been proposed. Five stages for the management of the waste (a) Planning the outline, (b) Implementation of action plan, (c) Classifying job descriptions, (d) disposal method and (e) Skill Development have been evolved. This model can be applied in any healthcare facility situated in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hospital and other health care facilities (HCFs) are known to generate lot of waste for which its management is a matter of considerable public health and environmental concern. The study was undertaken to describe the current practices, gaps and quantify the load of health care solid waste. Methodology: Out of one hundred and fifty health care facilities (HCFs) in Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan, a sample of fifteen (HCFs) was taken from a few selected Districts, to include six large hospitals and nine without indoor facilities. Results: Only 40% of studied institutions had some program to dispose-off the waste. Even these programs were deficient in many areas and could hardly be considered as scientific. One third of institutional personnel interviewed had proper awareness or existence of a training program. Only one institution had some concept of taking safety steps from infectious materials. Conclusion: The process of solid waste collection, storing, transporting and final disposal was highly inefficient in almost all the institutions. No regulatory body or system of waste was in place in any of the hospitals. There was no allocated budget in 27% of the hospitals for covering the cost of waste disposal. An average of 0.3 kg/bed/day of solid unsafe waste demands a systematic program of its disposal, failing which serious environmental hazards would develop for within and surroundings communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the pioneering efforts towards establishment of a family clinic as a model for provision of primary health care to the community at family level in Libya. Home visits were undertaken by health teams to introduce the clinic and record demographic and sociomedical data. Families were invited to attend the clinic for a complete health examination. It was largely a young population with an average family size of 7.1. The houses weere generally overcrowded. The majority of the heads of families had no formal education or skilled occupation but 98.1% had gainful employment. The vital statistics of the population, though comparable to the national figures, reflect a better health status. The infant mortality rate of the reference population was 25.9 per 1000 live births compared with 32.8 for the whole of Libya. Most reproductive age women (81.5%) breast fed their children for six months or more and 4% used contraceptives. The overall morbidity rate was 255 per 1000 population and the morbidity pattern, with a predominance of infections, was typical of a developing country. Each case diagnosed during the survey was appropriately treated and those with chronic diseases are being followed up. It is felt that such family based comprehensive health care units will go a long way in providing primary health care throughout Libya. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To measure Anthropometric data (Height and Weight) of Pakistani school children (of different socioeconomic and cultural background) 3-16 year, to develop growth centile charts, based on the above measurement and to document obesity and stunting in Pakistani Paediatric population, based on the above measurement., Methods: A Cross-sectional study with multistage stratified sampling was done in a Nationwide project of Higher Education Commission (HEC, Ref no: 20-441/R&D/2008) to develop growth centile charts of Pakistani paediatric population. Study was conducted from 2006-2009. Children studying in private and government schools of the four provinces of Pakistan were included. Prior to starting the study permission from the principal of the respective school and parents was taken. A total of 12837 children with normal birth weight, complete immunization, no history of chronic infection from 36-192 months (3-16 year) were included. Heights (cms), weight (kg), for Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2), 24 hour diet recall was obtained. All socioeconomic groups were included. Food records of the children were subjected to USDA food exchange list., Results: The average height (cms) of children was 139.11 +/- 18.44, average weight (kg) was 33.21 +/- 11.25 and average BMI was 16.76 +/- 3.22 kg/m2 (range from 11.3-41.98). The 95th centile according to CDC charts for the age groups 3-16 years were calculated. A total of 664 (5.1%) children were found to be obese. In the age group 3-5 years, > 5-10 year and > 10-16 year; 29 (8.1%), 272 (5.1%) and 363 (5.1%) were found to be obese, respectively. CDC height and weight in the three groups of Pakistani children > 3-5 year, > 5-10 year, > 10-16 year were at the 10-25 centile., Conclusion: Overall, the prevalence of stunting was 14%. Height and weight was 10-25 centile of the CDC charts. Obesity was 5%. Pakistani centile charts of healthy children from Pakistan have been made.