MARCH 2-8 2014
The
Magic Healer
How a nun from Germany cured Pakistan of leprosy
MARCH 2-8 2014
Portfolio
Cover Story
The tale of a single tribe
The Magic Healer
At the heart of the Kalash tribe is tradition and an undying zest for life
How a nun from Germany cured Pakistan of leprosy
36
Health
Breaking Back Osteoporosis leaves your bones brittle and prone to fractures
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4
46 Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
42 Review: Her, Inside Llewyn Davis and The Legend of Hercules
Magazine In-charge: Sarah Munir and Sub-Editors: Dilaira Mondegarian and Zehra Qureshi Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir, Kiran Shahid, Munira Abbas, S Asif Ali & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES
d Zara
am Habib an
adiha, Mah
Mahvish, M
Angie Marshal and Eishal Fayyaz
PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII
Johnny Rockets opens its outlet in Lahore
arsh
qar and Aad
Annum Zulif
Hifsa and Anny Rabia and Mehroo
Anna
6 MARCH 2-8 2014
PEOPLE & PARTIES
med Bunty and Vaneeza Ah
z
Madiha and Romana Azi
PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII
Zaree Khan and Hina
Nusrum Iqbal and Rania Asif Ayesha and Shazia Ayesha and Qasim
8 MARCH 2-8 2014
PEOPLE & PARTIES Shehla
PHOTOS COURTESY IDEAS EVENTS PR
Anoushey Ashraf and Natasha Qizalbash of Block Seven exhibit their western line at Ellemint Pret, Karachi
hera
freen and Sa
Ambreen, A
Natasha and Ayesha Omar
Tara ha
d Natas Anoushey an
10 MARCH 2-8 2014
Fehmeen with friends
PEOPLE & PARTIES
mar
d Ayesha O
y Ashraf an
r, Anoushe Amna Karda
Fariha Pervez
Hina Malik
Marriam Khokhar
Zoe Viccaji Birjees Rahat and Maria Rahat
12 MARCH 2-8 2014
PHOTOS COURTESY FAISAL FAROOQUI AND HIS TEAM AT DRAGONFLY
Coca-Cola announces the return of Coke Studio in Lahore
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Studio 6 Atendees at the Coke
Press Conference
ha Khalid
Shireen Rehman and Ma
Selina Rashid Khan
Ahmed Ali Butt, Fatima
14 MARCH 2-8 2014
Butt
Batur Muhammad and
Maheen Sabeeh
PHOTOS COURTESY FAISAL FAROOQUI AND HIS TEAM AT DRAGONFLY
Zara Peerzada
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Amna and Baila Saeed
na a and Balee
ubin
Raheela , R
Baila
Pashmina Ahmed
Nadia Amal
16 MARCH 2-8 2014
Tiwana and Shazia
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND EVENTS
Adnan Khalid and Wahaj Aslam launch the restaurant Tai Zu in Islamabad
PEOPLE & PARTIES Dania
Simra and Ruby
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND EVENTS
Nada, Sana , Natty and
Sarah
Naila Saadat and Zehra Valliani
Hina Bilal, Begum Alia
18 MARCH 2-8 2014
and Habiba Khan
n and Anila Satti
Mona Shah, Samina Kha
COVER STORY It was almost shocking to note how easily accessible Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ was. One phone call and three phone messages later, I was standing inside not just the hospital but the private living quarters of the 84-year-old Dr Ruth Pfau — the woman who has, single-handedly, turned the tide of leprosy in Pakistan and won the gratitude and personal attentions of people ranging from military rulers to elected ministers to the general public. Her face is lined but her gait is nimble. Her decided eyes, beneath a shock of cropped silver hair, glance at me questioningly — she had clearly forgotten the appointment — but without a hint of alarm over the fact that a complete stranger was standing unannounced in her personal chamber within the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Saddar, Karachi. Patients and nurses are bustling about outside her door, which according to several hospital staffers is always kept ajar. “Hi,” I say, extending my hand. “Excuse me?” The grip is a bit too firm for an octogenarian’s wrinkled hand. Her media manager whispers that I should try again with a slightly more old school greeting. “Good afternoon, madam.” “Good afternoon.” She walks into her bedroom to put back the diary she was scribbling in. In the narrow corridor outside, there is a soft board with messages from her patients, some in pink and red card paper. A calendar heavily marked with appointments is pinned next to the greeting cards. Everything in the bathroom, kitchen and living room is squeaky clean. We are escorted to a small meeting room outside her home. As she steps out of her door, a visibly frenzied elderly man, almost of her own age, runs forth to clutch her hands and waves an envelope into her face. She pats his back, nods at him and signals to one of the nurses to escort him away. He is one of the many abandoned souls that frequent Pfau for attention and care. With the calculated poise of a woman inured against all sorts of journalists, Pfau generously shares details from the various stages in her life — from her time in Germany to the boyfriend she had there and what she felt when the Berlin wall fell. “I was studying medicine at a university in West Germany and like any other German girl, I was in love with my boyfriend who studied ancient languages,” she says. “In those days, it was the boy who would propose marriage. I was sure that he would propose and was equally sure I would say yes. I waited day and night for him to say it. They were beautiful days!” 28 “Did he, then?” MARCH 2-8 2014
Examining leprosy patients during field work in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Magic
Healer
How a nun from Germany cured Pakistan of leprosy y
BY FAIZA RAHMAN E AR RCH CHIV IVES IV PHOTOS BY MARIE ADELEIDE LEPROSY CENTRE ARCHIVES DESIGN BY ESSA MALIK
Along with her efforts for ridding Pakistan of leprosy, Pfau has also been at the forefront for relief work every time a disaster struck the country
With the relative of a leprosy patient.
Just before the man whom I loved asked me to marry him, I had received a calling from God. When you receive such a calling, you cannot turn it down, for it is not you who has made the choice Dr Ruth Pfau
“Yes. I said, ‘no’”. Noticing the surprised reaction that her response had evoked, she chuckles gently. “You must know that I am now a nun. Just before the man whom I loved asked me to marry him, I had received a calling from God. When you receive such a calling, you cannot turn it down, for it is not you who has made the choice — God has chosen you for Himself.” But whatever heartbreak she suffered was readily healed by decades of service to victims of leprosy. Pfau is the driving force behind the hospital, which has become the
hallmark of leprosy cure in Pakistan. By 1996, this widely feared disease, which has tormented civilisations throughout recorded history, was almost rooted out from Pakistan, according to a World Health Organization report. “I did not regret anything much; but I’ll say one thing: leading a life committed to service does protect the soul from wounds. These are the workings of God.” Along with her efforts for ridding Pakistan of leprosy, Pfau has also been at the forefront for relief work every time a disaster struck the country. From the drought in Balochistan in 2000 to the earthquake in Kashmir in 2005 and the devastating floods that hit the country in 2010, Pfau was there each time, extending a helping hand to the victims, completely oblivious to the taxing conditions or the limitations of her age. Her relief work also focused specially on minorities or sections of the population, which were overlooked by the mainstream charity organisations.
From Germany to Pakistan Pfau was part of a congregation of educationists, Daughters of the Heart of Mary, which was headed for social work to India. When they stopped in Pakistan for a short while, she had to stay back due to some visa problems. It seemed as if fate had other plans.
Dr Ruth Pfau examining a patient in Gilgit-Baltistan.
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Examining patients at the Mary Adelaide Leprosy Centre, Saddar. Dr Ruth Pfau at the age of 34.
“When I and another girl from the order beheld the plight of leprosy patients in Pakistan, we were so moved that we decided to stay on as health workers.” It was a single visit to the leprosy patients’ colony in 1960 on the McLeod Road, Karachi (currently the I I Chundrigar Road), which unsettled her most deeply. She recalls that leprosy patients were living amidst open sewers. The area was heavily infested with rats. “I could not believe that humans could live in such conditions. That one visit, the sights I saw during it, made me make a key life decision.” There was no looking back. The leprosy centre built by Pfau is named after Marie Adleide, one of the founders of the congregation established in 1790 to salvage Catholic values from large scale de-Christianisation during the French Revolution. She claims that the hospital has treated over 50,000 families since its inception but the actual number is probably much more. Pfau has now lost count of the accolades she has received for over 50 years of service at the Karachi leprosy centre, rural Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Balochistan. “You want to know where I travelled? It’d be easier to talk about where I didn’t travel to!” Her efforts in the country have been recognised across the world, by states such as Philippines and Austria. Walls of the hospital complex, immediately outside her living quarters, are dotted with framed photographs of her with Z A Bhutto, Mother Teresa, Prince Karim Aga Khan, former president General Ayub Khan and former president General Ziaul Haq. In others, she is seen draped in a shawl or ajrak, smiling and holding patients in Sindh or crossing the trying terrains of Balochistan with the help of a wooden staff. “People ask me how a German woman was able to mingle so well with Pakistani patients. I just say this: when God chooses you, he makes it easy for you. In fact, I don’t think I would have made it if I were not a nun.” But did she miss Germany, her family and her boyfriend? “Not then; I was hard at work when I was young. Now that I am old, I do miss my family. And yes, I do think about him sometimes.” She continues to visit Germany for conferences and meetings, reminding me that the congregation that she is a part of continues to draw funding from Germany. During the chat, nurses flit in and out of the room with reports and queries for her. She is patient, answers gently and is not at all temperamental despite her old age. When she returns to the conversation, it takes a while for her to pick up the threads. “People ask me if Pakistani men harassed me, if I faced any religious discrimination for being a Christian. I actu-
People ask me if Pakistani men harassed me, if I faced any religious discrimination for being a Christian. I actually had no problems of the sort Dr Ruth Pfau
ally had no problems of the sort.” She claims that despite landing in Karachi as a 29-yearold woman, without a male companion she was able to assimilate well. Men and women alike respected her wherever she went in Pakistan, even when she was young. She has also often worked in teams that comprised solely of men.
The kind ones wore a uniform Pfau is all praises for former presidents Field Marshall Ayub Khan, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and Ziaul Haq. Her efforts, she says, were supported and recognised by these men more than any civilian statesman of Pakistan. She goes as far as to say that even at a personal level, she found Ziaul Haq to be “a very interesting man”. “He helped me reach out to leprosy patients in Afghanistan.” She is also very appreciative of former president Field Marshall Ayub Khan’s economic reforms. Her political preferences are clear. But her views left room for clarity; one pined to discover the electoral choices of a woman who has worked in proximity with the weakest and poorest stratum of Pakistan for decades and also rubbed shoulders with the country’s crème de la crème. “Definitely not democracy,” she says abruptly, without the usual 30-second brainstorming rite she had kept up so far. “Democracy needs education — you must be able to make informed choices.” Quite akin to a concerned Pakistani, Pfau is worried about the country’s security and the performance of new politicians. She, however, has not revoked her German identity, “Not sure what the newer ones have in mind for the country; if I really had to vote, I would vote for an independent candidate.”
Memories of a distant past Despite her admiration for Pakistani military rulers, Pfau recalls that she was most jubilant when the Berlin Wall was chipped away in 1990, heralding the triumph of dem-
Ruth Pfau with leprosy patients at the McLeod Road, Karachi in 1960. ocratic values. However, unlike many Germans of the era, she could not secure a piece of the fateful wall as a memento as she was stationed in Islamabad. “I was a happy 30-year-old when the Berlin Wall fell and democratic values triumphed. But democracy needs education and education is barely given any attention in Pakistan. So I don’t know how far democracy will succeed here.” Apart from Germany’s reunification, the collapse of this historic barrier also brought Pfau the glad tidings of the end of a war — the World War II — which had scarred her teenage years. She recalls the bombing of her hometown, Leipzig, and her risky crossing of the border into West Germany in order to study medicine and become a doctor. “Those who have not seen a war of such a scale cannot imagine the horrors. They cannot imagine the scalded and maimed bodies — bodies which need medicines and bandages,” she says. In fact, she attributes her desire to become a doctor to the horror she witnessed in her early years. “Not all of us can prevent a war; but most of us can help ease sufferings — of the body and the soul.” T Faiza Rahman is a subeditor for the Editorial pages of The Express Tribune MARCH 2-8 2014
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A girl precariously perched on stone ledges. Some houses here can be easily accessed via stairs, while others can be reached only by scaling stone walls.
The tale of a single tribe At the heart of the Kalash tribe is tradition and an undying zest for life TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIAL SHAH
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DESIGN BY ASIF ALI MARCH 2-8 2014
The tribe is famous for its folk songs and dances during festivals. The women dance, putting their arms around each other’s waist and shoulders, and spin in twos, threes or longer lines, appearing spellbound.
Kalash girls take a break to watch their elders dance during the spring festival.
A woman tends her sheep. Rearing goats and sheep is a primary source of earning, other than tourism and growing walnuts.
“Eesshhh-paaata� is how the Kalashis will greet you and welcome you to take a glimpse into their colourful lives. Tucked away in the Kalash Valley, Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, these people celebrate life one ritual at a time. Inhabitants of the valleys of Birir, Bumburet, and Rumbur, the Kalashis speak the Indo-Aryan language, Kalasha, which bears close resemblance to ancient Greek. Although many researchers have drawn parallel comparisons to Mediterranean cultures, mainly Greek, owing to their coloured eyes, light skin and sandy hued hair, the origins of the tribe are still shrouded in myth and mystery. Even though they claim to be heirs of Alexander the Great or his generals, little has been proven about lineage
During the spring festival, it is a ritual that a man, or a number of men, stand in corners of the ground to protect the valley and their future harvest from evil spirits. 37 MARCH 2-8 2014
The Rumbur valley is the most traditional of all valleys, comprising 70% of the Kalash population. Wooden houses in the valley are stacked one on top of the other, such that one house’s rooftop forms the terrace for the house above it.
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When death comes to Kalash, it is seen as a release. The deceased are given a farewell in a room where the relatives circle and dance in happiness for three days before the body is taken to the graveyard. MARCH 2-8 2014
A woman from Rumbur valley weaves a beaded headdress, called kupa, which takes almost a week to prepare.
Education is considered important by the tribe and children are sent to government or private schools located in the valley. Some even proceed to acquiring a graduate degree from universities spread across the country.
in the absence of concrete evidence. Believed to be refugees from Nuristan, in neighbouring Afghanistan, the Kalashis therefore go about their everyday lives oblivious to the curiosity that continuously draws people towards them. For the Kalash people, life pivots around nature. They celebrate four main festivals every year — Phoo, Uchal, Chowmos and Joshi or Chilimjusht — commemorating the arrival of seasons. At the Joshi festival celebrated in spring this year, the people engaged in jovial dancing and family reunions for a successful future harvest. Adhering to a polytheistic tradition, based on ancestor worship, the Kalash people worship pantheon gods and goddesses. And of particular importance are Jestak, a female spirit, protector of homes and its inhabitants and Mahandeo, a male spirit, protector of the valley and its wildlife and crops. It is the very reason that the receding population, of close to 3,000, continues to shrink, with increasing threat from traditionalists to abandon their beliefs and traditions, and forceful conversions. But even in the midst of uncertainty, the Kalash tribe continues to wholeheartedly embrace culture. Women in embroidered black gowns with elaborate headpieces called kupas, complete with layered, beaded necklaces, and men in traditional shalwar kameezes, with a feathered cap called the pakol, celebrate their unique existence in all its colourful glory. With dance and laughter they drown their sorrows and the impending threat to their existence. Danial Shah is travel writer and photographer who is always on the lookout for positive stories. He tweets @DanialShah_ MARCH 2-8 2014
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PLASTIC DREAMS
A prophetic, post-modern fairytale that explores love in the digital age BY ZINNIA BUKHARI
Spike Jonze’s Her can best be described as an avant-garde fairytale of a man who falls in love with his hyper-aware, artificially intelligent operating system. We are already at a point where most people have more established relationships with their tech-savvy gadgetry than each other. Also, most operating systems and software nowadays promise to fulfil their consumer’s every need, and Her explores that concept to its extreme. Despite its similarities to the movies I, Robot or even A.I: Artificial Intelligence, Her ca ot be cclassified ass ed e t e y as a sc e ce cannot entirely science fiction film. It is, at its core, a whimsical love story, where the object of the awkward Theodore Twombly’s (Joaquin Phoenix) affection happens to be a virtual reality operating system: OS 1 (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), which calls itself Samantha. Theodore works at a com-
pany called BeautifulhandwrittenLetters. com, where he composes sentimental letters for the inarticulate and the uncommunicative. His job is ironic, as according to his ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara), he doesn’t have the capacity to deal with human emotions. His long time friend and ex-girlfriend Amy (Amy Adams) may be the only relationship he thinks is worth keeping. When Amy mentions her growing friendship with her ex- husband’s OS, Theodore bravely admits to dating his. As the relationship revolves, conflict, jealousy and reality sinks in. It makes the viewer wonder whether human emotions will eventually be destroyed in a world transfixed with artificiality and pretence. Surprisingly, the conclusion to this love sto s tp ed ctab e a d may ay leave eave you storyy isn’t predictable and wondering if this situation may be plausible if, at all. While watching this odd but well-contrived romance, the audience may wonder if it’s better to emotionally invest in something that can talk back and be charming, rather than an inanimate object like a car or even a pet? Or can something that is artificially created lead to some-
thing real, and thus, meaningful? While none of these questions feel taboo, they are fundamentally unsettling, as is the fact that the viewer might find themselves rooting for the unconventional relationship which Theodore and Samantha share. The rapport between them is heartfelt and their discussions on love and loneliness are bound to strike a chord with a generation that can navigate any virtual situation but feels crippled in the face of real life emotion. As for the cinematic technicalities within the movie: it is embedded with strong writing, the film is visually engaging in its retro look and the scenic cinematography is perfect which only adds to the melancholic and fragile experience. It is Jonze’s genius combined with Phoenix and Johansson’s phenomenal acting skills, which prevents the film from veering into absurd territory or inciting disbelief. Instead, it presents a touching love story that is acceptable as a reflection of the human conditions of loneliness and fulfilment and an imminent reality. If you enjoyed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or Lars and the Real Girl, this film is a must-see. It will also appeal to those who enjoy thought-provoking dystopian sci-fi narratives that deal with the human condition (Moon, Sunshine), or romances build around conversations between the leads, such as the Beforee Trilogy ((Before Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight). tt).). T Rating: Zinnia Bukhari heads the life and style desk at The Express Tribune. She tweets @ZinniaBukhari
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in the Wind
Blowin’
FILM
The Coen Brothers take you on a melancholic trip where folk music, harsh winter and a careless yet appealing songwriter pull you in BY MAHEEN SABEEH
If there’s anything that makes for a curious watch; it is a film that has music beating inside its heart. Mercifully, Inside Llewyn Davis is exactly that. Set in New York, circa 1961, it is the story of a struggling folk musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as he tries to make it in the world of melody. The film opens with Davis singing Hang Me, Oh Hang Me and he is captivating from the get go. Making a genuine musician on screen is always tricky business and few get the nuances right. Isaac, however, manages to make you feel the angst of the struggle. Inside Llewyn Davis is very moody in one sense, but every moment is drenched in a strange sense of melancholia. There is no one to cheer on, not in the traditional sense. Is it painting a glamorous, sex-fueled portrait of Llewyn Davis? Nope. Instead, it shows him as a talented musician who is also miserable, reckless and selfish. Dark clouds linger as Davis is assaulted after his opening performance in a dark, abandoned
alley. He crashes at one friend’s apartment, loses their cat, lies about it, chases another cat and pretends it is the one that belonged to his friends. Issac is masterful as he keeps the character charming, yet never begs for sympathy. Things pick up pace very quickly as Jean (Carey Mulligan) and Jim (Justin Timberlake) enter the frame. Jean is incredibly mean to Davis and you wonder what he has done. But that plot reveals itself gradually. Their relationship is painful to watch as she calls him a ‘loser’ and much more. Jim and Jean are also singers, and it gets
real for Davis when another folk singer comes about. In a small club with a smaller crowd, he quickly notes when the audience is taking notice of anybody else onstage. It stings him as the crowd cheers on for someone else. Davis, meanwhile, has bigger challenges in his personal life and they add to his story. New York also lacks its signature colour and vibrancy in this period piece. Instead, it is shabby and isolating, cold and distant, exactly the way you want it to be. Inside Llewyn Davis has been overlooked in most Oscar nominations but will strike all the right notes with its audience. It is not struggling with a haywire script and Isaac is breathtaking in his expression of misery. But here’s the real thing: it is okay to root for someone who is unlikable and with this film, the Coen Brothers send out that message, loud and clear. Rating: Maheen Sabeeh is freelance journalist based in Karachi. MARCH 2-8 2014
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FILM Based on the mythical Greek hero, The Legend of Hercules is another addition to the list of movies on the son of Zeus, half-god, half-man. Renny Harlin could have adopted a different angle, but an idealisation of the legend, almost like a compilation of glimpses from various movies and video-game inspired battle scenes, makes this action fantasy a tedious watch. From what appears to be a royal soap opera, the movie begins with Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKeene) becoming impregnated by the seed-planting spirit of Zeus amidst thunder and billowing curtains. Her husband, the treacherous King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins), rightfully suspects he is not his child and vows to make his life miserable which sets the plot for the rest of the film. Born as Aclides (Hercules), his mother tries to shield him from the King by hiding his true identity but that does not protect him from the wrath of his suspicious and envious father. His brother, Iphicles (Liam Garrigan), is jealous of his strength and love affair with the Cretan princess, Hebe (Gaia Weiss), the woman who was promised to him. As a result, Hercules played by Kellan Lutz is exiled and sent to Egypt to fight a war that he cannot win. What follows are scenes reminiscent of the Gladiator. In a dramatic sequence, Hercules solely takes down the Egyptian army but is captured with his commander Sotiris. The two are sold as slaves and the enslavement is only redeemable in the arena. Videogame inspired death matches trivialise these battles and devoid the audience of any and all emotion towards the hero. Letting down the movie even further is the actor Emmett Cullen, best known for his role in the Twilight saga, who may have the body to fill his armour but lacks the acting skills to move the audience into sympathisThe Legend of ing with the hero. His power of invincibility, which involves single-handedly taking Hercules is contrived down six people at a time in slow-motion action sequences, further intensifies his disconnect with the audience. and unexciting and As a result, even if Hercules sustains injuries they merely appear as a scratch on fails to do justice to the surface, rendering battle scenes unexciting, forced and artificial. This is further the legend worsened by the choice of making the movie in 3D. The historical legend increasBY SUNDAR WAQAR ingly appears unreal; quite like one of the initial scenes in the movie in which Hercules fights a lion and escapes unscathed. The lion and the fight are a mock-up of such epic proportions that it could easily qualify as a scene from a cartoon. The real tragedy of the movie is that Harlin does not show the more commonly known aspects of the mythology of Hercules, such as the ‘Twelve labours of Hercules’ where he had to fulfill the tasks assigned by King Eurystheus for penance. Hercules capturing the Cretan Bull, slaying the nine-headed Hydra and obtaining the cattle of the monster Geryon would have made for an interesting watch. Harlin could have captured Hercules carrying out his labours bringing out the man and God in him simultaneously. Overall, The Legend of the Hercules is a mediocre, animated film rather than the anticipated live action movie. Had it been in 2D, it might have made for a more serious watch. With action scenes and costumes inspired by earlier films based on the same idea, there was nothing new to be seen. Better fit as a soap opera or a cartoon show, this movie did not cut the mark. T
When the mighty fall
Rating: Sundar Waqar is a subeditor on The Express Tribune Magazine desk. She tweets @sundar_waqar
BREAKING BACK Surviving a fracture after a fall can be almost close to impossible if you suffer from osteoporosis. It is a progressive bone disease that causes bones to become brittle after reduction in bone mass and density. The alarmingly high prevalence of the disease in Pakistan makes it a primary health concern for many. Almost 97% of women aged 75-84 years and 55% aged 45-54 years suffer from this disease states a study titled ‘Dietary Calcium Intake, Vitamin D Status, and Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women in Rural Pakistan’ published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition in 2011. According to the report prepared by the International Osteoporosis Foundation, titled ‘The Asian Audit: Epidemiology, costs and burden of osteoporosis in Asia 2009,’ 9.91 million people in Pakistan suffer from osteoporosis. Commonly affecting the hip bone, spine or wrist, the most common signs of the disease are fractures. In severe cases, even a slight forward bend can result in a fracture in the vertebra, leading to prolonged hospitalisation, limited mobility and increased incidence of depression. The disease is a blend of both genetic and environmental factors and commonly occurs due to vitamin D deficiency and low intake of dietary calcium when younger. To reduce this risk factor gastroenterologist Dr Waseem Iqbal recommends, “Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and get enough calcium and vitamin D to make your bones strong and healthy from childhood. Decrease sodium intake and increase weight bearing exercises like walking and running to prevent osteoporosis in the future.” Combined with a change in lifestyle that includes low caffeine, protein and tobacco intake, the health risk can be dramatically reduced. Younger people are therefore best equipped to take necessary preventative measures and to peak bone mass before the age of 30. “It is known as a ‘silent killer’. Nutritional habits and lifestyle should be improved [when] young to prevent osteoporosis in the future,” says orthopedic and trauma surgeon, Pervaiz Iqbal. But while some risk factors are modifiable, others like low bone mineral density, a family history of osteoporosis and low estrogen levels in some women make the disease harder to prevent. “Osteoporosis gets second place after heart disease as it affects 200 million women worldwide and causes over 200,000 fractures each year,” says Iqbal. Despite the staggering statistics, osteoporosis remains greatly under diagnosed and under treated and will continue to break backs until stringent measures are taken to control its spread.
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Ayesha Saeed is an MPhil student in Lahore. MARCH 2-8 2014
Osteoporosis leaves your bones brittle and prone to fractures — even without your knowledge BY AYESHA SAEED DESIGN BY MUNIRA ABBAS
Types of Osteoporosis: Primary type 1 or postmenopausal osteoporosis is widespread in women within 15 to 20 years of menopause. Primary type 2 or senile osteoporosis mostly occurs in women or men after the age of 75. Secondary osteoporosis can occur at any age and affects men and women equally.