ISLAMABAD – More than 420,000 children under the age of five years die every year in the country due to both external and internal factors.
The major causes of death among under-five children are birth Asphyxia (22 percent), Sepsis (14 percent), Pneumonia (13 percent), Diarrhoea (11 percent) and Premature birth (9 per cent). A study `A Situation Analysis of Women and Children in Pakistan’, jointly released by Planning Commission of Pakistan and
United Nations Children Fund pointed out that rates of under-five child mortality, infant mortality and neonatal mortality vary widely in term of wealth quintile of family.
It pointed out that child mortality rate is accompanied by a rate of maternal mortality that sees 30,000 maternal death a year. The analysis said an abundance of social determinates of health comprise the factors contribute to low health outcomes including illiteracy, gender inequality and social exclusion, lack of access to safe water and improved sanitation, unemployment and household poverty.
It pointed out that weak governance and poor management of health facilities, partially functioning logistics and supply system, lack of proper training and empowerment and insufficient or ill-planned deployment of health workers and facilities also contribute to it. As it seen in the context of Sindh, due to low levels of skilled birth attendants, postnatal care and newborn care coverage, many newborns die at home without having had contact with health interventions.
The Analysis said cause of infant death such as birth Asphyxia can be drastically reduced through delivery at a health institution, under the care of medical professionals.
It also suggested to launch awareness campaign to affect behaviours changes are required, as provision of staff and equipment at basic health units and regional health centres for safe deliveries are imperative. Pneumonia is another leading cause of under-five birth death but, Pneumonia awareness among mothers is quite low in all provinces, the study said.