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To identify the socio-cultural factors and barriers to the early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth among infants in district Faisalabad. A qualitative study design was conducted by focus group discussions with an interview guide. Eight focus group discussions were comprised of parents (mother and father) and five people one nurse, one Lady Health Worker, two medical doctors and one nutritionist. Transcribed and audio-recorded were taken during the focus group discussion. Transcripts were analyzed and coded by using thematic analysis. Identified key barriers to early initiation of breastfeeding were demographic characteristics of respondents, pre-lacteal feedings, mother’s knowledge toward colostrum feeding, family type and lack of decision-making power of a mother. Socio-cultural factors have a strong influence on breastfeeding in the district Faisalabad. It can be reduced if different cultural and traditional approaches should be addressed by the government to create awareness among mothers with more effective and stronger health promotion campaigns.

Introduction: The tea plantation industry in South India is facing a severe labour crisis leading to influx of large number of migrant workforce.Provision of good health services for migrant workers is a daunting challenge for health care providers and estate management. Objective: To compare the health, nutrition and immunization status of children of migrant workers with local children in tea plantations in Anamallai, Tamilnadu. Methodology: A cross sectional study along with a qualitative component was conducted between November and December 2014. A total of 110 children between the ages of 1-5 years attending 19 crèches through 7 estates were included. Socio demographic details, feeding practicesand immunization status were captured using an interview schedule. Anthropometric parameters and physical examination findings were documented. FGDs and indepth interviews were conducted with various stakeholders. Results: Among 110 children assessed, 64 were locals and 46 were migrants. According to the WHO classification of nutritional status, about 8% and 7% of the local and 24% and 22% of the migrant children were underweight & stunted respectively.Only 13(29.5%) of migrant children were fully immunized for age compared to 100% of the local children. Health problems like ARI, worm infestation, rachitic changes & behavioral problems were more common in migrant children. Qualitative results depict that health seeking behavior is poor among migrants. Conclusion:The high prevalence of health problems, incomplete immunization and poor nutritional status is significantly higher among children of migrant workers compared to local children. Health seeking behavior is poor among migrants. Migrant sensitive policies, information systems and specific training to the health care delivery people to reach the unreached are the challenges. Integration and synergy with all the stakeholders and self-advocacy and participation from the migrants is also needed.

Biomass fuel, an economical organic renewable source of energy, is still intensively used for burning purpose in majority areas of rural Punjab. It mainly includes agricultural crop residues and animal dung which is easily available and found in abundance. But it’s the dilemma of present times, that while on one side biomass fuel is facilitating the lives of residents of rural areas by providing them a low-cost solution to meet their energy requirements, at the same time it is posing a potential risk to health of rural women. These women are directly exposed to the health hazards of gases being released from burning of biomass fuel due to longer contact hours. This research was conducted with the purpose to investigate how domestic cooking fuel is affecting the health and lives of women directly or indirectly. This research work was conducted in year 2019, in three districts of Punjab, Okara, Hafizabad and Multan, with 480 data samples collected evenly in the research area. There were two slots, based on different age groups, defined for data collection. In response to investigating different social parameters and their association with health impact, it was found that rural women with age group between 20 to 40 (slot 1) were suffering from mental health issues at higher rate of 64 % while those with age group above 40 (Slot 2) were found at higher risk to physical health issues with 83 % of the studied population. Similarly, rural women belonging to slot 1, exhibited 87 % of workload and domestic fuel management responsibilities. The findings of this research exhibited significant variation of health impact on women for different sources of biomass fuel.