The country’s leading pediatricians have warned that children’s immunity in Pakistan is being severely weakened due to an increase in recurrent infections caused by the excessive consumption of fast food and fried items. This warning was issued today by Professor Wasim Jamalvi, President of the Pakistan Pediatric Association (Sindh Branch), at the conclusion of a two-day national conference focused on childhood diseases.

Professor Jamalvi explained that the growing trend of feeding children, even those under one year of age, fast food like burgers, chips, and especially french fries, is a primary cause of throat, stomach, and other infections. He clarified a common misconception, stating that a child’s natural defense mechanism is harmed by recurrent illnesses, not by the antibiotics administered afterward.

“From a medical standpoint, recurrent infections in children are dangerous,” said Professor Jamalvi, stressing that this cycle of illness and medication puts immense pressure on a young person’s developing immune system.

To combat this, experts at the conference urged mothers to breastfeed their children for up to two years. Professor Jamalvi described mother’s milk as a source of natural antibodies that provides crucial protection against various diseases and infections, emphasizing that “a healthy mother is essential for a healthy child.”

In addition to nutrition, the conference also recommended promoting physical activity among children and called for concerted efforts to increase vaccination coverage across the country. Professor Jamalvi pointed out that diseases like polio could be completely eradicated if 90 percent of children are vaccinated.

However, Professor Iqbal Memon identified a major obstacle to this goal: parental vaccine hesitancy. He lamented that despite the health department providing free vaccinations, on which the government spends 40,000 to 50,000 rupees per child, many parents refuse to vaccinate their children due to various “doubts and suspicions.”

Professor Memon further elaborated on the apparent increase in childhood diseases, stating that modern diagnostic methods are leading to better and more frequent diagnosis of illnesses that have always existed, which may make their prevalence seem higher.

Dr. Saad Chachar reiterated the association’s commitment, saying, “Just as children are dear to their parents, they are dear to us too, and we want to see them completely healthy.”