High infant mortality rate challenge for Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has notified that the biggest challenge for Pakistan, right now, is the high infant mortality rate, as 500 children die every day before reaching to their first birthday, said Regional Director for South Asia Daniel Toole while addressing a press conference here on Friday.

He made a four-day official visit to the NWFP and FATA where he met with government officials and the people to talk about the situation of women and children in Pakistan.    

"I have seen that Pakistan has made some progress on education enrolment and child mortality has reduced to some extent but the country has serious issues about maternal mortality. About 60 percent children die in the first month of their life mainly due to complications after delivery and lack of health workers", the Regional Director said.

He pointed out that only 36 percent of Pakistani women are literate and there is a dearth of female teachers and health workers in the country. And existing female teachers have conveyance problems and cannot go to schools situated in far-flung areas.

He hoped that the government would increase the allocation for children and women in the budget of 2008-09 as 100 percent increase in the food prices has been record and most importantly the children are going to be affected by the world food crises.  "In Pakistan many people spend 80 percent of their income on their food. They cannot afford to send their children to schools so they encourage them to go for work. These are the serious challenges that the country has been facing. The number of health workers need to be increased and the teachers should be given pick and drop facility", he maintained.   

Toole informed the media persons that 60 million people have been facing food insecurity and do not take proper diet. And this world food crisis would severely hit already malnourished women and children of Pakistan. He warned that the situation is getting worse and prices have been getting higher. The government needs to look into the situation, he observed.

Telling about the UNICEF activities, he said UNICEF would double its spending in Pakistan and establish a monitoring system through which every child would be checked after every six months to control polio and other diseases. The UNICEF is also working with the government to provide pick and drop facility to the teachers in remote areas, said he.