The outbreak of malnutrition claimed five more lives of children in Tharparker. All five children breathed their last within 24 hours at Mithi’s Civil Hospital, where they were brought in for treatment, according to sources in the health department. The latest fatalities have risen the death toll in the Tharparker region in Sindh to 35 in March alone and 165 since January 1. The deceased children included two newborns, a three-day-old infant, a three-month-old baby and a four-year-old child. The health department claims that around 1,500 children lose their lives to malnutrition, infections and lack of proper medical facilities in the remote region every year. Earlier, a report released by the UN Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) lamented Pakistan as among countries with the highest infant mortality rate, in April 2018. It stated 22 infants died in the country before even turning one-month-old. Eight of such countries are in Africa while only two are in Asia. The other Asian country slated in the list was Afghanistan, which was ranked third.
Published in Daily Times, March 22nd 2019.
