Economic indicators impressive, social alarming: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Although, Pakistan’s economic indicators are impressive yet social indicators were alarming, as the country has the highest ratio of child mortality in the world while poor health, malnutrition and lack of breast feeding to the infants were causing major health issues among children.

Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said that the economic indicator of Pakistan indicated that the country was among middle income countries, but on the other hand, the social indicators were alarming which put Pakistan among the least develop countries. He said this while addressing a round table conference, organised by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, on Early Childhood Development in Pakistan here Monday. 

A national-level working group had been set up which would provide solid recommendation on the basis of its research regarding National Plan of Action for protection of childhood, Ahsan Iqbal added. In order to ensure better health care for future generation; the federal government was taking numerous initiatives. 

Pakistan is among the countries where more children are out of schools, the minister said. “With hunger, poverty and the flawed education we cannot move forward in future,” he maintained. “We have to look at our structural weakness,” the minister said, adding that the federal and provincial governments will work together to resolve the issue.

Panelists of the meeting noted that Pakistan had one of the highest rates of first day deaths and stillbirths at 40.7 per 1,000 births. They said that some mothers feel pressured to bear more children than they could support on locally available nutritious diet. However, in urban centres some mothers were obese yet malnourished from a diet rich in processed, caloric-dense foods that contain few micronutrients.

The panelists further informed that chances of survival of a newborn child increases when breastfed within an hour of birth. According to United Nations Children Emergency Fund (Unicef) and World Health Organisation (WHO), out of 10, less than two mothers engage in early breast feeding in Pakistan and this is one of the lowest rate of breast feeding in the world. The panelists also discussed promotion of breast feeding, neonatal care, food-fortification, affordability of nutritious diet and early childhood psychosocial stimulation.