Infant deaths
Malnutrition is prevalent in some areas of the country. In the ongoing month, so far 36 children — most of them newborn and infants — have died due to malnutrition in Tharparkar district of Sindh. Officials have confirmed the mortality figures. Last year around 600 children had died in the district due to under-nutrition and the resulting weak immunity in the district. Conditions in the district can be understood in the context of its socio-economic dynamics. Tharparkar is largely a desert area where water is scarce. So there is little agriculture to sustain the mostly poor Tharis. They mainly depend on rearing livestock to earn their livelihood. Poverty is widespread, hence the lack of intake of nutritious food. It has been estimated that on average one couple has 10 children. The other important cause of infant and maternal deaths is the lack of awareness stemming from illiteracy. There is also the issue of under-age marriage. Expectant mothers and their families have no idea of the importance of hygiene for human health. Poverty and lack of education are leading to serious consequences like malnutrition and premature deaths.
The provincial government is paying attention to infant and maternal mortality, which is prevalent mostly in upper Sindh. Besides hospitals, it has set up medical camps in the affected areas where children and adults are provided fortified food items, nutrition supplements and medical advice. Cash handouts too are given. It is also endeavouring to provide clean drinking water and sufficient irrigation water to bring increased land under cultivation. For these purposes, the government has installed solar panels for pumping water to agriculture fields. Solar energy is helping in better provision of drinking water in homes and at outdoor pumps. However, there is the need to extend the province’s irrigation canal network to the Thar region. Stunting, wasting and low weight at birth is endemic among lower strata of society. At the national level, nearly 29% children are underweight, and 9.5% are obese.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2022.
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