Naeema Hanif

Background: Street children experience substantial barriers to healthcare due to poverty, social exclusion, inadequate education, and unstable living conditions, making them highly vulnerable to poor health outcomes. Objective: The objective of this research was to identify the health seeking behaviour of street children in Rawalpindi, focusing on the socio-economic challenges and informal healthcare practices that influence their access to medical care. Methodology: This study used a phenomenological research design, in which qualitative methods (observations, recorded interviews) were used to examine the living and health conditions of 20 street children aged 10-19 and the data were analysed by means of Thematic Analysis. Results: Findings revealed critical barriers to health care access, including low education levels, financial instability, and poor health care experiences. Additionally, nutritional deprivation and experiences of stigma within formal healthcare settings contribute to adverse health outcomes, with many children resorting to self-medication and informal healthcare Practices. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to include the quality of life of street children in Rawalpindi, addressing both their immediate health needs and broader economic factors that perpetuated their vulnerable status. References Abdullah, M. A., Basharat, Z., Lodhi, O., Wazir, M. H., Khan, H. T., Sattar, N. Y., & Zahid, A. (2014). A qualitative exploration of Pakistan's street children, as a consequence of the poverty-disease cycle. Infect Dis Poverty, 3(1), 11. doi: 10.1186/2049-9957-3-11 Ahsan, S., Orakzai, A. A., Hussain, H., Orakzai, M. A., & Huma, N. (2021). Health Status and Health Seeking Behaviour of Street Children inas Peshawar. Journal of Saidu Medical College, 11(2), 78-83. Alsager, A., Franchett, E., Siyal, S., Bhamani, S., Yousafzai, A. K., & Sudfeld, C. R. (2025). Household Food Insecurity, Growth and Development of Preschool Children: Evidence From Rural Pakistan. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 21(4), e70062. Ashraf, A., Hussain, B., & Ullah, F. (2020). Legal and institutional coverage to street children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 3(2), 101-114. Cumber, S. N., & Tsoka-Gwegweni, J. M. (2015). The Health Profile of Street Children in Africa: A Literature Review. J Public Health Afr, 6(2), 566. doi: 10.4081/jphia.2015.566 Fehmi, A., Shinwari, R. A., & Ali, S. (2024). Assessment of the status of out-of-school street children in Islamabad and Rawalpindi cities, Pakistan. Liberal Arts and Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ), 8(1), 48-63. Gautama, M. S. N., & Rias, Y. A. (2026). Synergistic effects of food insecurity and open defecation on wasting among street children in East Java, Indonesia. Discover Public Health, 23(1), 162. doi: 10.1186/s12982-026-01496-y Jörgensen, E., Napier-Raman, S., Macleod, S., & Seth, R. (2024). Access to health and rights of children in street situations and working children: a scoping review. 8(1). doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002870 Karanja, M. W. (2015). Factors influencing implementation of rehabilitation of street children in Kenya: a case of the action for children in conflict (AFCIC) in Thika sub-county. Macleod, S. L., MacRae, P., & Pimenta, J. (2023). Children in street situations’ access to healthcare: qualitative findings from the Street Child World Cup 2022. BMJ Paediatr Open, 7(1), e002101. Mahmood, T., Khan, A., & Nik Ab Malik, N. M. A. (2025). Bridging the nutrition divide: understanding poverty-linked inequalities in under-five children health in Pakistan. Frontiers in Public Health, Volume 13 - 2025. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1640318 Marasini, P. G., Acharya, L. M., Bhusal, M., & Adhikari, A. (2024). Nutritional Status of the Street Children in Selected Metropolitan Cities of Nepal. PMJN, 101, 47.41. Sohel, M. S., Alam, S., Rahman, M. M., Obaidullah, M., Mohammad Towhidul Anam, A. S., Hossain, B., & Alamgir Hossain, M. (2024). Exploring the multifaceted vulnerabilities of female street child labor in the capital city of Bangladesh. Heliyon, 10(18), e37302. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37302 Vedadi, S., Iqbal, S. M. J., & Muneer, S. (2013). Street children and its impact on educational attainment in north-western state (Punjab) of Pakistan. Journal of Education and Vocational Research, 4(12), 366-372.

The destruction of β-cells of the pancreas leads to either insulin shortage or the complete absence of insulin, which in turn causes diabetes Mellitus. For treating diabetes, many trials have been conducted since the 19th century until now. In ancient times, insulin from an animal’s extract was taken to treat human beings. However, this resulted in some serious allergic reactions. Therefore, scientists and researchers have tried their best to find alternative ways for managing diabetes with progressive advancements in biotechnology. However, a lot of research trials have been conducted, and they discovered more progressed strategies and approaches to treat type I and II diabetes with satisfaction. Still, investigators are finding more appropriate ways to treat diabetes accurately. They formulated insulin analogs that mimic the naturally produced human insulin through recombinant DNA technology and devised many methods for appropriate delivery of insulin. This review will address the following questions: What is insulin preparation? How were these devised and what are the impacts (both positive and negative) of such insulin analogs against TIDM (type-I diabetes mellitus) and TIIDM (type-II diabetes mellitus)? This review article will also demonstrate approaches for the delivery of insulin analogs into the human body and some future directions for further improvement of insulin treatment.