ISLAMABAD, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-eight infants out of 1, 000 live births die every year in Pakistan while under-five mortality in the country is 94 deaths per 1,000 live births, a local media quoted a UN official as saying on Friday.
"The situation of children in Pakistan is serious with immunization, nutrition and sanitation issues, in particular, needing urgent attention," said Dan Rohrmann, UNICEF Country Representative for Pakistan.
Rohrmann made the remark in Islamabad on Thursday while attending a function co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children Fund (UNICEF) to celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week.
"This is illustrated by only one in five children under one year of age being immunized and 31 percent being born with low birth weight. With a national average stunning rate at 37 percent and acute malnutrition at 13 percent," said Dan Rohrmann, while calling for urgent action to tackle the problem.
"The root causes for malnutrition are not only linked to the 2010 floods but due to inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices, including the late initiation of breast feeding as well as inappropriate complementary foods and inappropriate weaning foods. Therefore, many of the nutrition problems we see today would be greatly alleviated with increased exclusive breastfeeding and more knowledge about nutrition," he said.
According to Rohrmann, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life remains essential as the country is still recovering from the impact of the destructive 2010 floods in Pakistan that inundated almost one-fifth of the country. While nutritious food supplies, sanitation and access to safe drinking water remain elusive for millions, breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, provides critical protection from infection in environments without safe water supply and sanitation.
"Pakistan's high rate of child mortality with malnutrition and preventable diseases being key contributing factors can be addressed by implementing a multi-sectoral approach across Pakistan.WHO and UNICEF are working closely with the Government of Pakistan and its partners in the health, water and sanitation, and nutrition sectors to increase child survival rates. Exclusive breastfeeding is a core component of these measures," said Dr Nima Abid, Acting WHO Representative in Pakistan.
"World Breastfeeding Week provides an opportunity for us to renew our commitment to protecting children and promoting this life-saving measure, and exclusive breastfeeding gives a child the best possible start in life," said Dr Abid.
