Vitamin D deficiency is an emerging health concern around the world, highly prevalent in south Asian population, despite abundant sunlight. In Pakistan, all age groups are vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency including pregnant women. This systematic review aimed to determine the pattern of Vitamin D deficiency among Pakistani pregnant women as well as exploring the causes and possible interventions that have had a substantial effect on improving the vitamin D level. Three databases (PubMed, Pub Get and Google Scholar), for the present review up to 2016, were used for the identification of published peer reviewed original relevant studies regarding Vitamin D deficiency among Pakistani pregnant women with the keywords Vitamin D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D in combination with pregnant women. Five studies were included for the final analysis. Vitamin D deficiency was common and highly prevalent among Pakistani pregnant women and their neonates. The main reasons for this were found to be avoiding sun exposure, quality of diet, and lower intake of calcium. Maternal vitamin D supplementation was found to be a key intervention to improve the maternal and neonatal vitamin D status. These review findings can be emerging in ensuring the adequate vitamin D level for Pakistani pregnant women during pregnancy, ultimately to achieve positive maternal and neonate's health outcomes.

Objectives: To examine the awareness regarding HIV/AID and sexual behaviouramong long distance truck drivers (LDTDs) in Bahawalpur division. Study design: A crosssectional population study. Setting: Three districts (Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and RYK).Data: Sample of size of 120 LDTDs is taken by using convenient sampling technique. Methods:Descriptive and inferential analysis carried out. Results: Every 6 out of 10 LDTDs have heardaboutHIV/AIDS and believed that sexual intercourse is a major mode of its transmission. Theuse of condom before sex is seldom among truckers. Exactly half of LDTDs have only onesexual partner while nearly quarter (23.3%) of the respondents currently having two sexualpartners. Over half (54.2%) of truckers made payment for sex with commercial sex workers(CSWs) and only 3.3% did so with their helper/conductor. Two models are executed separatelyto explore the association of trucker’s knowledge about HIV/AIDS (Model 1) and those whopaid for sex (Model 2). Pearson chi-square analysis exhibits that respondents having age group25-30 year, those with native of Punjabi language, those who manage to earn more than 15,000Pakistani rupees per month, those having secondary level of schooling and those watchingTV has higher knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. LDTDs with age thirty years and over, Saraikispeaking, monthly income less than 10,000, illiterate, unmarried, watching TV and remainaway from home during current trip a week are found to be more prone to pay for sex toCSW. Conclusions: The awareness of HIV/AIDS and knowledge of its transmission throughsexual contact is high among LDTDs but still public health strategies are needed to promotethe knowledge of all possible transmission modes of HIV/AIDS and use of condom before sex,ultimately to improve health outcomes.

Objectives: To uncover the trend regarding TB knowledge and perception ofits transmission as well as underlining the socio demographics aspects associated with TBcure among the reproductive venerable women. Methods: Quantitative frame work along withinferential analysis have been carried out by using the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey2006-07 and 2012-13 of ever married women. Results: Trend regarding TB awareness and itscure and treatment have been changed over time by 4.31% and 4.49% respectively in PDHS2012 compared to PDHS 2006. Whereas an adequate knowledge of TB transmission thoughtair when coughing and sneezing remain constant after equating the two surveys. To understandthe functional relationship of variables multinomial logistic regression analysis was carried outseparately for PDHS 2006 and PDHS 2012. Two models revealed that early reproductive agegroup 15-19 of ever married women believed that TB cannot be curable compared to theircounterparts upper age groups 45-49. Illiterate ever married women are more pronounced[OR=5.38 and OR=10.30] that TB is an incurable infectious disease compared to womenhaving higher educational degree in PDHS 2006 and PDHS 2012 respectively. Location andgeographical area of residence, wealth index, and media exposure have positive associationabout TB knowledge of cure and treatment. Conclusion: Although the awareness level improvedbut it still needs to launch some massive and wide-ranging awareness programme regardingan adequate knowledge of various diffusion modes of tuberculosis by utilizing all media modespredominantly television. Potential struggles are obligatory where the subordinate literacy rateand limited health care settings meticulousness in remote areas, so that the illness and deathdue toTB can be minimized.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (UNAIDS) has risen as the serious public health problem across the world. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is the cornerstone for prevention and treatment. Research is needed to explore the attitude and the effect of different demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic and media exposure factors on males knowledge about HIV in Pakistan. In this study, latest secondary data are used from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18. Sample results show that the majority of the respondents (70%) have knowledge about AIDS. Regression Modeling reveals that man’s knowledge about HIV/AIDS is associated with age, place of residence, educational level, wealth index, ethnicity and media exposure factors. Males of age group 35-39, with higher education, belonging to Pukthon ethnicity, having exposure to mass media on a daily basis and belonging to richest wealth quintile has high Knowledge of HIV/AIDS. For example, the regression model predicts that men between the ages of 35 and 39 from Islamabad who live in urban areas, have higher education, are of Pukhtoon ethnicity, are the head of the household, belong to the richest quintile, work in professional occupations, and use media exposure factors on a daily basis would have probability of 97% of having knowledge of HIV/AIDS. But there is still need to focus to increase the men’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS.

Objectives: This study aimed to uncover the trend regarding knowledge aboutsexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Pakistani women of reproductive age 15-49 as wellas evaluating the socio demographic differentials associated with STIs knowledge. Design:The secondary data sets are used of Pakistan demographic and health survey (PDHS) of evermarried women with sample size 10023and 13558.Period: PDHS 2006-07 and PDHS 2012-13.Setting: The national institute of population studies done this survey with the technical supportfrom ICF International and Pakistan bureau of statistics and the USAID supported the financially.Methods: Descriptive frame work along withbivariate analysis was performed to understandthe trend regarding STIs knowledge and evaluate the significant socio demographic factorsrespectively. Results: The awareness regarding STIs and knowledge to use always condomduring sex to reduce the risk of getting HIV/AIDSafter equating the two PDHS has improvedover time just by 3.85% and 6.50% respectively in PDHS-2012-13 compared to PDHS 2006-07.Early age group (15-19) women have sufficient lack of knowledge about STIs. Urban has moreknowledge regarding STIs compared to rural. Education, wealth index and media awarenesshave positive association with STIs knowledge. Conclusions: Socio demographic differentialssuch as age, education, location and geographical area of residence, media access, wealthindex and women occupation are found to be statistically highly significant with respect tosexually transmitted infections knowledge. These statistical outcomes will enhance thecapability in disease management and control.