ACCESS to child healthcare and education is a challenge for many families who simply cannot afford providing these facilities to their children, primarily in the rural areas of the country.

It is likely that today’s economic crunch, especially the increase in food prices, will have a widespread negative impact on children’s education and health.

The situation of child health in Pakistan is abysmal and serious efforts are needed by the government and civil society to save the lives of thousands of children who die every year from preventable diseases.

Medical reports reveal that one child dies every minute from the expanded programme on immunisation diseases, diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infection. They also reveal that every year about 400,000 infants die during the first year of their life. Child health in Pakistan is among the most important national issues that needs serious attention.

Child mortality in Pakistan is a major cause of concern, with every one among 10 children dying before reaching the age of five and one among 30 just after they are born.

The main reason at the back of mounting child mortality in Pakistan is lack of child healthcare facilities in rural areas, where the majority of the population lives.

Low state spending on healthcare, abject poverty, low literacy, lack of skilled birth attendants, widespread communicable diseases, insufficient emergency child health services in government-run district and rural hospitals are amongst other major reasons behind growing diseases in children.

Maternal, newborn and child health care statistics in Pakistan are some of the poorest in South Asia. A holistic approach is needed to improve maternal and newborn health, mainly by improving and upgrading facilities at district hospitals. The most common and lethal diseases in Pakistan include acute respiratory tract infection, viral hepatitis, malaria, diarrhoea, dysentery, scabies, goiter, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Among the victims of acute respiratory tract infection, the most vulnerable are children whose immune systems have been weakened by malnutrition.

In order to save the lives of children, paediatric institutes should be opened in all districts of Pakistan where emergency services along with trained child-disease experts should be made available all the time.

DR HASSAN ANJUM SHAHID Lahore