Maternal and child mortality rate remains high in Balochistan

QUETTA: Maternal and child mortality rate remained high in Balochistan as compared to other provinces of the country.

This was revealed by Dr. Ali Nasir Bugti, Provincial Coordinator Nutrition Program Government of Balochistan at a press conference on Wednesday.

Dr. Bugti stated that a total of 785 mothers lose their lives during pregnancy in Balochistan out of 1 lakh as compared to 272 in the rest of the country.

According to National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2011 conducted by Aga Khan University, the nutrition problem in Balochistan appears to be alarming when compared to the rest of the country.

"We are in a state of emergency when it comes to malnutrition among women and children," Dr. Bugti lamented.

Director General Health, Dr. Naseer Baloch and other high ups of the health department were also present on the occasion.

The grim picture depicted by NNS 2011 indicates that the prevalence of chronic malnutrition is 52.2 per cent and maternal anemia is 47.3 per cent.

Dr. Bugti said that the ratio of child mortality was high in Balochistan elaborating that out of 1000, a total of 158 children died during birth as compared to 103 in other parts of Pakistan.

In view of alarming malnutrition and anemia among women and children, the Balochistan Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution protecting the nutrition of children on January 3rd this year.

"Most of the children in Balochistan are underweight and malnourished," said Provincial Health Minister Rehmat Baloch.

World Food Program in collaboration with provincial health department has already launched a nutrition program in nine districts of Balochistan.

"We are providing cooking oil, biscuits and other food items to malnourished children and women suffering from anemia," Dr. Bugti said.

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Nadeem Shahid

Mar 05, 2014 10:52pm

Thanks Syed Ali Shah sb for writing on such an important issue. I would like to share with DAWN readers that the most ill fated province is Balochistan where neonatal mortality is 30 and Infant Mortality is 72 MICS 2010 89 (out of 1000 live births) children die before reaching their 5th birthday. Whereas, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 785 per thousand hundred deliveries. While 100000 women go through the delivery process in Balochistan 785 women lose their life http://www.unicef.org/pakistan/Approved_MICS_Balochistan_Final_Report_23_November_2011(2).pdf Malnutrition among under five children is ranked as Severe stunting (Height For Age HFA) is 32.20 %, Wasting (Weight For Height WFH) is 18.60% and under weight (Weight For Height WFA) is 41.80%. whereas, 63.50% are food insecure. But government has not allocated any budget for nutrition program in province. In-order to address this gruesome situation of women and child deaths and to minimize infants and mother deaths in the province is to allocate budget for Nutrition, Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and Expended Programme on Immunization (EPI) programme in Balochistan. Double the number of Vaccinators, LHWs and Community Mid Wives (CMWs) promote breastfeeding practices. Balochistan assembly has recently passed legislation on Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Law 2014. To implement this law government must notify Infant Feeding Board and devise its Term Of Reference (TORs)

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Nadeem Shahid

Mar 06, 2014 05:02pm

There are only 167 Community Midwifes deployed in field by the provincial Health Department only 29.1% deliveries are being conducted by the Skilled Birth Attendants. Current number of Lady Health Worker (LHWs) is 6720 covering the only 43% of area. Similarly, there is 943 vaccinators in the province and measles coverage is only 22.9%. these poor health indicators makes Women and Child health condition of rather worse. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 785 /100000. The recent study Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS 2012-13) depicts Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is 97/1000, Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) is 111 and Neonatal Mortality Rate is 63/1000. There is a dare need of increasing numbers of the LHWs, CMWS and Vaccinators, allocating fiscal and human resources for LHWs, EPI, MNCH and Nutrition programs to minimize the IMR, MMR, NNR and U5MR to direct the province toward MDGs4-5

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ADNAN SAJID

Mar 06, 2014 05:27pm

Very alarming situation. I am really surprised about the quoted figures. Needs some real baseline survey which may contribute alot for result based planning. As the author reported that World Food Program in collaboration with provincial health department has already launched a nutrition program in nine districts of Balochistan now its duty of DoH Balochistan for strict monitoring of that program about their deliverable's to community because if at the end of this project no improvement in chronic malnutrition that according to NNS 2011 was 52.2 per cent and maternal anemia was 47.3 per cent. Balochistan Assembly has recently passed legislation on Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Law 2014. Now its time to implement this law Government must notify Infant Feeding Board and rules of business for it, otherwise like other laws of Pakistan it will be noting but a piece of paper.

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