Malnutrition claims lives of another four children in Thar

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THARPARKAR: Another four children died in Tharparker region of Sindh on Saturday due to malnutrition and other diseases, sources in the health department said.

Seven children have died in the region in November alone and 527 since January 1, 2018.

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

A report released by the United Nations’ Children Fund in April this year stated that Pakistan is among the 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 are in Asia. Afghanistan was ranked third in the report.

“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 the first month of their life than a baby born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore,” the report added.