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Pakistan 69th out of 71 LDCs in Mother’s Index
Islamabad—Pakistan has achieved 96th place in the Mother’s Index out
of 71 less developed states that depicts the state of health care to
save their lives and the lives of their children.
The ranking was made in the ninth annual State of the World’s Mothers
report released here Wednesday by Save the Children, a U.S.-based
global independent humanitarian organization.
Addressing the launching ceremony, Dr Amanullah Khan, Director of
Health for Save the Children told media that the index identifies the
best and worst countries to be a mother and child by looking at child
and maternal well-being in 146 countries.
According to the report, Sweden takes top place against last position
taken by Nigeria. The United States is on 27th place, Pakistan 69th
while India is on 66th place.
The bottom ten-line consists of the African countries but Pakistan
ranks poorly against other counties at similar level of development.
“Pakistan’s poor performance is illustrated by the fact that one in
every 74 women in Pakistan die as a result of a pregnancy, while in
developed countries only 1 in 7,300 women die of similar causes,” the
index states.
Dr Amanullah Khan said the high maternal mortality has multiple causes
but one of the most remarkable is that only 31 percent of births in
Pakistan are attended by skilled health personnel.
“On the positive-side, Pakistan is making progress in saving lives
through the successful lady health worker program and efforts should
be made to further expand this program.,” said Dr Amanullah Khan.
Ms. Zinat Saba, Senior Community Mobilization Officer for Save the
Children spoke about her experience in the rural areas and stressed
“that every pregnancy has risks and it is up to us to help reduce
those risks so that mothers and newborns live.
She recounted a story of a healthy woman in Bajkata village in Buner
District who died during the birth of her seventh child and did not
avail the health facility despite knowing delivery was facing
life-threatening complications.
According to the report, rural mothers in Burundi, Eritrea, Nepal and
Pakistan are 80 percent less likely to give birth with a skilled
attendant by their side compared to urban mothers. “When mothers die,
their young children are 3 to 10 times more likely to die,” said the
report.
The report said that 10.5 million children in Pakistan are without
health care. There is also a big class discrepancy in Pakistan with 55
percent of the wealthier children having access to basic health and
only 20 percent poorest children having access.—APP
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