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Background: Child malnutrition is a major public health problem in most low income communities leading to high morbidity and mortality. According to National Nutrition Survey of Pakistan, 43% of children are stunted and 15% are wasted. Aim: To assess the nutritional status of the children attending the government schools in Islamabad. Methodology: A Descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out on school going children 6-12 years of age (1st -5th grade) attending Islamabad Model School for Boys F.11/1, Islamabad. Sample Size of 80 was obtained by using Simple Random sampling. Data collection tools, weighing machine, height measuring tape, calculator and a questionnaire form containing socio-demographic data of a child (age, gender, height, weight, socioeconomic group etc.), BMI for age percentile growth chart and height age growth chart. Data analysis was done by using SPSS software version 23. Conclusion: Shorter heights of children may mask their poor nutritional status and deem them, to be healthy on a BMI scale. Economic, political and social changes should be made with special focus on mothers’ education to improve the nutritional status of children. Keywords: BMI, Nutritional status, Government schools, socio-economic status

Decentralisation is widely practised but its scrutiny tends to focus on structural and authority changes or outcomes. Politics and process of devolution implementation needs to be better understood to evaluate how national governments use the enhanced decision space for bringing improvements in the health system and the underlying challenges faced. We use the example of Pakistan’s radical, politically driven provincial devolution to analyse how national structures use decentralisation opportunities for improved health planning, spending and carrying out transformations to the health system. Our narrative draws on secondary data sources from the PRIMASYS study, supplemented with policy roundtable notes from Pakistan. Our analysis shows that in decentralised Pakistan, health became prioritised for increased government resources and achieved good budgetary use, major strides were made contextualised sector-wide health planning and legislations, and a proliferation seen in governance measures to improve and regulate healthcare delivery. Despite a disadvantaged and abrupt start to devolution, high ownership by politicians and bureaucracy in provincial governments led to resourcing, planning and innovations. However, effective translation remained impeded by weak institutional capacity, feeble federal–provincial coordination and vulnerability to interference by local elites. Building on this illustrative example, we propose (1) political management of decentralisation for effective national coordination, sustaining stable leadership and protecting from political interfere by local elites; (2) investment in stewardship capacity in the devolved structures as well as the central ministry to deliver on new roles.

Maternal health care refers to the better outcome of labor and reduced maternal mortality. Antenatal care utilization is an important determinant for improved maternal health care. In this study, we examine how father's involvement influences antenatal and perinatal care utilization by mothers.A community-based cross-sectional study was performed in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for three months. Systematic random sampling method was used for obtaining the desired sample. Safe Motherhood Questionnaire (Woman) developed by Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) was adapted and utilized to gather the required data. Sample size for the study was calculated as 303 by the WHO calculator keeping confidence level at 95% and with an associated prevalence of 73%. The data were entered into SPSS version 21 (Chicago, IL). Frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for quantitative variables.This study revealed that the father's attitude toward antenatal care was found to be significantly (p .05) associated with a higher education and greater income level. While father's favorable attitude toward childbirth was found to be significantly (p .05) associated with higher education and lower age (18-29 years). Frequency of fathers who disagreed to the statement "It is not necessary for a husband/partner to accompany his wife to antenatal care visits" was 204 (67.1%), whereas those who disagreed with the statement "It is not necessary for a husband/partner to accompany his wife when she is giving birth" were 255 (83.8%). While frequency of fathers who disagreed with the statement "Giving birth is mostly a woman's matter; Husbands/partners have little to contribute" was 267 (87.9%).Our study found a positive association between father's involvement in maternal health and factors such as paternal education level, age, income level and father's attitude. Fathers' antenatal involvement was associated with paternal age and income level, while their perinatal involvement was associated with paternal age and education level. Our study on father's attitude toward presence at time of birth showed 83.8% compliance. Similarly, there was 67.1% compliance for presence during antenatal checkups.