Aims/objectives: Coronavirus pandemic has been declared a health emergency worldwide. Millions of people have been affected by it. The objective of this study was to assess anxiety and depression among people who are confined to their homes due to the covid-19 pandemic so that measures can be taken to reduce the frequency and effects of psychological distress during mass lockdowns in the future.Materials and methods: The study population consisted of educated adults of Rawalpindi and Islamabad who have been under strict lockdown. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. Informed consent was taken. Data were collected via a questionnaire based on the HADS scale. For data analysis, SPSS version 25 was used.Results: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 615 individuals, out of which 15 did not meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The majority were females (80.2%). The average age was 22.6 years. 37.5% were found to have anxiety, whereas 21% had depression. Borderline cases of anxiety and depression were 27.5% and 28.3%, respectively. The frequency of anxiety and depression was found to be higher in females than males, 39.5% vs 29.4%, and 22.4% vs 11.5% respectively. The correlation of HADS scores with other demographic parameters was studied, but no significant relationship was found.Conclusions: The study reveals a high prevalence of anxiety and depression among individuals during lockdowns. The development of a comprehensive educational and emotional support system is required for the improvement of the mental health of individuals.

Background: Pakistan is one of the 34 countries yet to achieve the neonatal tetanus global elimination target set by the World Health Organization. Lack of vaccination, inadequate knowledge about prevention, and unsafe practices are major causes of spread. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of health education messages in improving tetanus health literacy among women age 16 to 45 years.Methods: The quasi-experimental study which was carried out from April 2018 to June 2018 at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi consisted of 150 female respondents of age 16 to 45 years selected by non-probability convenience sampling. Written informed consent was taken from each participant. Afterward, respondents were sequentially delivered pre-test proforma, health education message (verbally and in the form of the pamphlet), and a post-test proforma after a gap of 2 days. The pre-test and post-test proformas assessed knowledge about tetanus. Data were analyzed via SPSS version 22.Results: Out of 150 women 20.1% were uneducated and 79.9% were educated. The area of residence was urban for 83.3% and rural for 16.7%. Mean tetanus health literacy scores increased significantly from 6.32 ± 2.85 to 10.55 ± 3.87 (p=0.01). Health education message was more effective for students and employees compared with housewives (p=0.01). Similarly, women possessing higher education were more likely to have high scores on post-tests (p=0.01).Conclusions: The health education message is effective in improving tetanus health literacy among women.

Background: The higher incidence of dengue fever in Pakistan demands additional efforts in order to limit the disease. Despite active public health campaigns, low public awareness is one of the factors facilitating dengue virus transmission. For effective preventive measures, the assessment of the knowledge gap and then taking appropriate steps to fill the gap is required.The objective of this study is to assess knowledge about dengue fever prevention among people visiting Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi.Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study of 6 months duration was conducted with 280 participants selected via nonprobability convenience sampling. After informed consent, an interview was conducted based on a questionnaire that assessed socio-demographic parameters and knowledge about dengue virus transmission and prevention. Data were analyzed through SPSS v. 22. The study was approved by the Ethical Review Board (ERB) of Rawalpindi Medical University and Allied hospitals.Results: Out of 280 respondents, 54.6% were males and 45.4% females and the mean age was 35.0 ± 13.1 years. The respondents having high knowledge scores were 66(23.6%) while those having moderate and low scores were 159 (56.8%) and 55 (19.6%) respectively. Educated respondents (p=0.03) and urban residents (p=0.05) had higher knowledge scores.Conclusion: The majority of the participants know about dengue fever. However, only one out of every four respondents has good knowledge scores for dengue fever prevention.