Nazeer Khan - Professor of Biostatistics, Chairman of the onference, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan

The ninth month of Islamic calendar is known as Ramadan, in which fasting is obligatory for every adult man and woman, except in certain health conditions and during travelling. Since Islamic jurisprudence follows the lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian, Ramadan falls in different seasons throughout the year. The duration of fasting hence may differ by 11 to 18 hours depending on the duration of the day in every country.