Child mortality: Pakistan tough place for children to stay alive, says report

Unicef report for 2013 highlights dismal situation, offers recommendations; some see silver lining.

ISLAMABAD:

Just five countries account for half of the global total of deaths among children under-five, and Pakistan is one of them.

This is among the findings in a United Nations report titled, ‘Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed’, which was released on Friday.

The global burden of under-five deaths has fallen steadily since 1990 from 12 million to 6.6 million in 2012,  however, “Pakistan is ranked 26 for under-five mortality in the world with 86 per 1,000 live births, a neonatal mortality rate of 42, and infant mortality rate of 69,” says the report.

Pakistan is also among the four countries across the world where more than half of under-five deaths are caused by pneumonia or diarrhea.

“There are 20 high-mortality countries in which at least 40% of under-five deaths occur in the neonatal period, and more than 4 in 10 of all neonatal deaths worldwide occur in just three countries — India, Nigeria, and Pakistan,” says the report.

Meanwhile in 2012, an estimated 51 million children under-five are underweight for their height, with almost 80% of these children living in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa, says the report.

Meeting MDGs

The report says that to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) four by 2015, an additional 3.5 million children’s lives must be saved between 2013 and 2015. Breaking this projection down by country indicates where the greatest challenge lies to meet this international goal.

“One-third of these lives need to be saved in just two countries — Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — with a further fifth in India and Pakistan,” reveals the report.

Child-rearing tips

The report recommends exclusively breastfeeding all newborns till six months of age, immunising children and newborns with all recommended vaccines, and eliminating all harmful traditions and violence against children. To ensure children grow up in a safe and protective environment. Besides this feed children with proper nutritional foods and micronutrient supplements, where available, and de-worm children; give oral rehydration salts (ORS) and daily zinc supplements for 10-14 days to all children suffering from diarrhea.

In a press statement issued by Save the Children International, the NGO’s Chief Executive Jasmine Whitbread said, “Dramatic global progress is being made in saving children’s lives and we are now at an historic point where ending preventable child deaths lies within our grasp. This demonstrates that widespread efforts to improve access to life-saving healthcare for some of the world’s most vulnerable children are working. But these efforts need to be stepped up in order to prevent millions more from dying.”

The new data reveals that a historic opportunity is at risk because two main challenges remain — the poorest children are being excluded, and too many children are still not surviving through the first month of life.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2013.