Two more children succumbed to malnutrition in Tharparkar region of Sindh on Saturday and raised the death toll to 34 in September.

Despite repeated promises made by politicians and government officials that they would formulate and implement effective measures to counter malnutrition in Tharparker, the death toll of children suffering from malnutrition has been increasing exponentially.

According to the health department, an infant and a three-year-old girl died at the Civil Hospital in Mithi on Sept 20, and annually 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.

The list includes eight countries from Africa and two from Asia including Afghanistan which is ranked third.

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,” the report added.

“Pakistan is the riskiest place to be born as measured by its newborn mortality rate,” the report stated.

Published in Daily Times, September 23rd 2018.