Three more children die of malnutrition, epidemics in Tharparkar

0
289

THARPARKAR: Death toll of children due to malnutrition and epidemics in Tharparkar region of Sindh continued to climb as three more children passed away within 24 hours, the health department sources said on Sunday.

Three among the children admitted in Civil Hospital Mithi expired during treatment, the health officials said. The latest deaths have taken the death toll in Tharparkar in November to 20 and 540 since January 01, 2018.

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 this year stated that Pakistan is among countries with the highest infant mortality rate, 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”.