Over the years, several developing countries have been suffering from high infant and child mortality rates, however, according to the recent statistics, Pakistan falls high on the list. Our narrative review of copious research on this topic highlights that several factors, such as complications associated with premature births, high prevalence of birth defects, lack of vaccination, unsafe deliveries, poor breastfeeding practices, complications during delivery, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), poor socioeconomic conditions, and a struggling healthcare system, have influenced these rates. Bearing in mind the urgency of addressing the increased infant and child mortality rate in Pakistan, multiple steps must be taken in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. An effective initiative could be spreading awareness and education among women, as a lack of education among women has been indirectly linked to increased child mortality in Pakistan across many researches conducted on the issue. Furthermore, the government should invest in healthcare by hiring more physicians and providing better supplies and improving infrastructure, especially in underdeveloped areas, to decrease child mortality due to lack of clean water and poor hygiene. Lastly, telemedicine should be made common in order to provide easy access to women who cannot visit the hospital.
In the recent past, due to the pandemic and humanitarian crisis, the
healthcare system has dived into turmoil, especially regarding core
facilities for women and maternal health. Afghanistan has the highest
maternal mortality rate globally according to the WHO, with a startling
638 deaths per 100,000 live births. In such a decrepit system, regime
changes resulted in major donors withdrawing from the national primary
care service program leading to serious consequences for Afghani women
such as women being compelled to deliver babies at home instead of
hospitals increasing the risk of infections and maternal mortality.
Major challenges faced by the Afghan healthcare system include the
cessation of international funding due to the humanitarian crisis, the
shortage of medicines, and the failure to deliver salaries to healthcare
workers. According to the UNFPA, due to these challenges, more than 90%
of healthcare facilities are at risk of closure, leading to an estimated
4.8 million unattended pregnancies and 51,000 maternal deaths between
2021 and 2025. To ensure such a catastrophe does not arise, the World
Bank, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and
UNFPA in collaboration with governments around the world have pledged
aid, both monetary and in terms of equipment & resources to
Afghanistan. In addition, local Afghan organizations such as the AHDS
and JACK must also be supported to further their work in providing
healthcare services.
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