Two more infants succumb to malnutrition in Tharparkar

THARPARKAR: Death toll of children dying of malnutrition in Sindh’s Tharparker region continued to climb as two more infants passed away in the past 24 hours, the health department confirmed. 

The latest deaths have taken the death toll in Tharparker to 20 for this month and 439 for this year.

According to the health department, every year 1,500 children die due to malnutrition, infections and lack of proper medical facilities in the remote region.

A report released by the United Nation’s Children Fund in April stated that Pakistan is among countries with the highest infant mortality rates, with 22 infants dying before turning one month old.

Among these countries, eight are in Africa and two in Asia, including Afghanistan which is ranked third.

“Pakistan is the riskiest place to be born as measured by its newborn mortality rate,” the report stated. “A baby born in Pakistan is almost 50 times more likely to die during his or her first month than a baby born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore.”