Background: The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund released the first joint statement directly addressing Fmale Genital Mutilation. Aim: Assess Relationship between Socio Demographic Data and Female Genital Mutilation at Beni-Suef. Subject & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was used. The study population consisted of 2837 females in family health centers (FHCs) in different sitting at Beni-Suef. Α Structured Interviewing Questionnaire sheet was used to collect data. Results: The mean age of the studied participants was 22.6±5. The prevalence of FGM/C was 71.4%. Significant associations between FGM/C and participants' residence, level of education, marital status, religion, and parents' education (p≤0.001) were found. Conclusion & Recommendations: There is an association between socio-demographic data and Female Genital Mutilation at Beni-Suef. Development of an educational program for rural dwellers about FGM is required to increase their awareness.
Background: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is an ancient cultural practice, predating the Bible and therefore the Koran, and has no basis in any religion. It is related to deep social and cultural ideas impeded in several societies regarding femininity and modesty because it is viewed as girls clean and delightful only after being genitally cut. FGM/C is additionally viewed as a protection of virginity, and it prevents premarital sex. Aim: The present study was carried find out to assess Females' Intention in Northern Upper Egypt regarding Female Genital Mutilation. Subject & Methods: A Descriptive Cross-sectional study was used. The study was conducted in family health centers (FHCs) in different sitting at Beni-Suef Governorate. A Convenient sample was used. А Structured Interviewing Questionnaire sheet which includes three sections: Socio-demographic data, Intention to practice FGM/C, and Causes for intention or not to practicing FGM/C. Results: The mean age of the studied participants was 22.6±5. Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation is 71.4percentage, 29.7percentage of participants are suffering from complications after FGM. About 28.6percentage of females who had mutilated their daughters were planning to mutilate their other daughters in the future. More than one-third of females (35.5percentage) had an unfavorable attitude and 40.5percentage had poor levels of knowledge regarding FGM/C. 71.3percentage of females mentioned that the source of their information about FGM/C was their personal experience. Conclusion: Northern Upper Egyptian Females' Intention regarding intention of mutilating their daughters was significantly affected by demographic characteristics, level of knowledge, and level of attitude, source information, exposure to complications or pressure from family and neighbors. Recommendations: Alleviate females' intention toward Female Genital Mutilation should be improving their awareness regarding complications and Egyptian law against FGM, established by improve females' resistance toward family or neighbor regarding bad and harmful traditions.
Background: The utilization of the word “mutilation” reinforces the very fact that the practice may be a serious violation of girls' and women's rights. This term also establishes a transparent distinction from male circumcision and emphasizes the gravity and harmfulness of the act. Although FGM is practiced in some communities within the belief that it's a religious requirement, research shows that FGM predates Islam and Christianity. Aim: the study was conducted to assess Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Northern Upper Egypt. Subject & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was used. The study population consisted of 2837 females in family health centers (FHCs) in different sitting at Beni-Suef. Α Structured Interviewing Questionnaire sheet was used to collect data. Results: Most of the studied participants were rural residents (70.4%). Non-mutilated females constituted 28.6% of the studied females. About 81.3% and 44.5% of circumcised females are from rural and married females. There was a significant association between the illiteracy of father and mother and rural residence and the FGM by barber and dayah. Conclusion: The prevalence of FGM/C is still high despite the health consequences of the procedure. Recommendations: Design and disseminate brochures work on the health effect of female genital mutilation in health centers and hospitals.
Violence against children in many societies is a dangerous phenomenon. It may occur against children in schools, or at home. Children exposed to violence live in a state of panic, isolation, and fear, and do not know where to turn for help?! Especially when the person practicing violence is close to the child. Violence against children is a global problem that transcends cultural and social boundaries. Violence against children includes any behavior that leads to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of children. Violence against children is a serious violation of human rights and can lead to long-term psychological and physical effects on children's lives. To eliminate violence against children, its causes must be understood, diagnosed, prevented, and treated. This violence may cause the child to become disabled, God forbid, and child abuse has become a tangible reality in most human societies without exception, despite its clear and distinct presence in societies for reasons related to social and family relations. . With the start of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, societies around the world are coming together to make ongoing efforts to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving these goals will help reduce the risks of children being exposed to violence in their lives, and provide effective responses to victims. The international community must put children’s issues at the center of its discussions and allow them to participate effectively in making decisions that shape their world. Due to its serious negative effects, violence against children is one of the most important problems that society suffers from in our current era. Children are the future, and the idea of leaving them exposed to this phenomenon destroys them and weakens their self-confidence and their ability to bear responsibility. It is nothing but the inevitable destruction of society. The use of violence in education cannot produce normal people capable of renaissance and improving their society, so many people want to know detailed information about the phenomenon of violence against children, and perhaps you, my dear, are one of them, so we will provide you with an accurate definition of it, as we will learn together. Based on its causes, consequences, and a lot of information about it, violence against children is a form of human rights violation, as stipulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Article 19 by the United Nations,] Violence against children is the mistreatment of children by a parent, caregiver, or any adult, resulting in physical injury, emotional harm, or serious harm to the child’s health. Violence against children is represented by many forms of maltreatment, including neglect and physical abuse. And sexual, exploitation, and emotional abuse. Violence against children does not only mean physical violence, as this is considered one form of ill-treatment to which children are exposed by an adult. Violence against children may include neglect, threats, or violent treatment, and often occurs
In Tunisia, eight out of ten children are victims of violence. More than half of children suffer physical punishment, and over 75% are victims of psychological aggression. This violence against children (VAC) imposes a severe societal burden, with significant and quantifiable economic costs. This study estimates the cost of violence against children in Tunisia, disaggregated by type of violence and sex, and examines the health and education-related losses. Current investment in prevention is also measured. This study used secondary data from international and Tunisian studies on the consequences of VAC to estimate the lifetime cost of VAC in Tunisia, discounted to 2022, using an incidence-based approach. The total cost of VAC in Tunisia is estimated at USD 865 million in 2022, approximately 1.9% of the country's GDP. Psychological violence represents the greatest burden among non-fatal forms of violence, totaling 460 million USD or 1% of GDP (2022). Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) account for the majority of the costs of non-fatal violence (470 million USD). The loss of lifetime income due to dropping out of school represents 356 million USD, while e xpenditure on prevention and care for victims of violence is estimated at 12 million USD in 2022. VAC imposes an economic burden on Tunisia, amounting to a considerable proportion of its GDP. Protecting Tunisian children is not only a fundamental human right but also a cost-saving investment. • Eight in ten Tunisian children are victims of violence. • Incidence-based approach quantifies direct and indirect costs of this violence. • Violence against children cost Tunisia USD 865M in 2022 (1.9% GDP). • Psychological violence accounts for largest non-fatal burden (USD 460M).
Hannah Mette Rowett, Antoine Deliege, Chadi Rabhi et al.
Background: Early marriage is a public health problem that violates the adolescent girl's basic human rights. The Sustainable Development Goals had incorporated early marriage in target 5.3, aiming to eliminate by 2030. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of empowerment program on knowledge, attitude and practice of rural adolescent girls regarding health consequences of early marriage. Subjects and Method: Design: A quasiexperimental research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in two preparatory schools at Zagazig city. Subjects: A sample of 100 female students randomly selected from east and west educational administrations. Tools of data collection: A selfadministered questionnaire consists of four parts; socio demographic characteristics, knowledge regarding health consequences of early marriage, attitude toward early marriage and healthy practices of adolescent girls. Results: The study results revealed that there were statistically significant improvements in knowledge, attitude and practice of adolescent girls regarding health consequences of early marriage after the program (p < .0001). The result also showed that knowledge score was positively correlated to attitude score (r = .379) and practices score (r = .399) at post program phase. Conclusion: The program's implementation was shown to be successful in improving adolescent girls' knowledge, attitude and practices regarding health consequences of early marriage. Recommendations: Further researches should continue to identify determinants of early marriage to assist in building more girlcentered interventions and norms change interventions that empower adolescent girls, particularly, in rural areas in order to advocate for themselves against child marriage.
Nashwa Saber Atia, Hanan Abd-Elmohdy Emarah, Miada Ali et al.
For more than two decades, the private sector in the Sudan (henceforth, Sudan), including non-governmental organisations and for-profit providers, has played a key role in delivering immunisation services, especially in the conflict-affected Darfur region and the most populated Khartoum state. The agreements that the providers enter into with state governments necessitate that they are licenced; follow the national immunisation policy and reporting and supervision requirements; use the vaccines supplied by government; and offer vaccinations free-of-charge. These private providers are well integrated into the states' immunisation programmes as they take part in the Ministry of Health immunisation trainings and district review meetings and they are incorporated into annual district immunisation microplans. The purpose of this article is to describe the private sector contributions to equitable access to immunisation services and coverage, as well as key challenges, lessons learned and future considerations. Fifty-five per cent of private health facilities in Sudan (411 out of 752) provide immunisation services, with 75% (307 out of 411) based in Khartoum state and the Darfur region. In 2017, private providers administered around 16% of all third doses of pentavalent (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines to children. Private health providers of immunisation services have especially been critical in filling the gaps in government services in hard-to-reach or conflict-affected areas and among marginalised populations, and thus in reducing inequities in access. Through its experience in engaging the private sector, Sudan has learned the importance of regulating and licencing private facilities and incorporating them into the immunisation programme's decision-making, planning, regular evaluation and supervision system to ensure their compliance with immunisation guidelines and the overall quality of services. In moving forward, strategic engagement with the private sector will become more prominent as Sudan transitions out of donors' financial assistance with its projected income growth.
Contemporary neuroscience has moved from classical localisationist accounts of language towards models in which language emerges from interacting neural systems. This critical integrative review examines the developing language network during middle childhood, with particular attention to neuroplasticity, verbal working memory, phonological processing, speech perception, oral repetition, and additional-language learning. It also considers intensive oral memorisation, including Qur'anic memorisation, as a culturally situated learning experience involving repeated listening, recitation, serial retrieval, articulation, attention, and teacher-guided correction. The review does not assume that memorisation improves intelligence or additional-language proficiency; instead, it identifies cognitive and linguistic processes that can be examined empirically. Contemporary evidence indicates that language relies on interacting cortical, white-matter, subcortical, and cerebellar systems rather than an isolated language centre. During childhood, functional specialisation, connectivity, attention, memory, and language processing continue to develop. Additional language learning provides further evidence for experience-dependent plasticity, although outcomes vary with age, exposure, proficiency, instruction, and individual differences. The Arabic–English phonetic interface is considered cautiously, particularly stop-voicing and voice-onset-time patterns. The review emphasises that /p/ is not a native phonemic contrast in Modern Standard Arabic and is absent as a native phoneme in many Arabic varieties, rather than assuming it is absent from all Arabic dialects. The authors propose a Developmentally Informed Neuro-Language Framework (DINF) to connect neural development, cognitive-linguistic processing, cultural learning experience, and pedagogy. DINF is conceptual and requires empirical validation. The review concludes by proposing a research agenda for Libyan children that separates culturally situated learning experience from measurable cognitive, phonological, auditory, and additional-language outcomes.
Malnutrition among children is a crucial public health issue. Children in critical care units may suffer from nutritional vulnerability due to their underlying disease or barriers to nutrient delivery. Early detection and management of malnutrition may improve clinical outcomes. To evaluate the nutritional status of critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and its prognostic outcome. This observational prospective cohort research entailed 250 children admitted to the PICU. All participants were assessed at admission and weekly thereafter for 28 days. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric measurements and the PYMS and STRONGkids scores. The PRISM score was used to assess illness severity on the day of admission. 59.2% of patients were underweight and/or stunted at admission and 59% at day 28 of follow-up. PYMS, and STRONGkids scores were significantly higher among underweight and/or stunted on day 1 and during follow-up (p < 0.05). Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that admission PRISM score was an independent predictor of mortality (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.19-1.88, p = 0.001), mechanical ventilation requirement (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.07-1.31, p = 0.001), and feeding interruptions (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.16-1.45, p < 0.001). Socioeconomic status was independently associated with feeding interruptions and length of stay. CONCLUSION: Underweight and/or stunting was common among PICU patients. PYMS and STRONGkids were effective in identifying nutritional risk. After adjustment for confounding variables, clinical severity rather than baseline malnutrition independently predicted adverse clinical outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Underweight and/or stunting were prevalent among children admitted to the PICU and this represent a crucial public health problem. • Both PYMS and STRONGkids were useful screening tools for identifying children at risk of malnutrition. WHAT IS NEW: • This study demonstrated that clinical severity and the need for inotropic support were the primary independent predictors of adverse outcomes. • The baseline malnutrition was not independently associated with mortality, mechanical ventilation, feeding interruptions, or length of PICU stay.
Aya Osama Mohamed, Asmaa El Sayed, Dina Mohamed Hassan et al.
Background Although health-promoting behaviors and health literacy may be protective factors against Social network addiction symptoms, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these interactions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between health promotion and social network addiction symptoms among adolescents and to examine the mediating role of health literacy in this relationship. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 475 adolescents aged 15–18 years recruited from four secondary schools in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt, using a multistage random sampling technique. A demographic questionnaire, the Short-Form Adolescent Health Promotion Scale (SF-AHPS), the Health Literacy for School-Aged Children (HLSAC) scale, and the Social Network Addiction Scale (SNAS) were used to gather data between February and April of 2026. Results The average scores were 30.04 ± 8.53 for social network addiction symptoms, 31.02 ± 4.85 for health literacy, and 70.61 ± 10.69 for health promotion. Health promotion was positively correlated with health literacy ( r = 0.327, p < 0.0001) and negatively correlated with social network addiction symptoms ( r = −0.117, p = 0.011). Health literacy was also negatively correlated with social network addiction symptoms ( r = −0.229, p < 0.001). A cross-sectional statistical mediation model showed that health promotion was positively associated with health literacy ( β = 0.299, p < 0.001), whereas health literacy significantly associated with lower social network addiction symptoms ( β = −0.277, p < 0 0.001). While the indirect effect through health literacy was significant [ β = −0.083, BootSE = 0.019, 95% CI (−0.122, −0.048)], suggesting a significant indirect association through health literacy, while the direct association was not statistically significant ( β = −0.020, p = 0.664). Conclusion Health literacy showed a significant indirect statistical association between health promotion and social network addiction symptoms among adolescents. Adolescents with higher health-promoting behaviors demonstrated better health literacy, which in turn was associated with lower levels of social network addiction symptoms.
Shaimaa Mohamed Amin, Sameer A. Alkubati, Halla Ali Abd El hie Ali et al.
