Health
Introduction
Population of Pakistan (2024)
| Year | Population | Yearly % Change | Yearly Change | Fertility Rate | Urban Population % | Urban Population | Country’s Share of World Population | Pakistan Global Rank | |
| 2024 | 245,209,815 | 1.96 % | 4,724,157 | 3.28 | 34.9 % | 85,615,064 | 3.02 % | 5 |
Source: Worldometers - Pakistan Population
Pakistan has one of the world’s youngest population with multiple challenges marring the overall well being of children. A child’s health include physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease or infirmity . Children especially infants are at higher risk of serious health problems in the country. To protect the children from diseases and improve their health, growth and development, it is important that nutrition, diet, vaccination coupled with health services are given due consideration.
Malnutrition: According to the National Nutrition Survey 2018, 40.2 percent of the children in Pakistan are stunted – that is, two in every five children under the age of 5 suffer from moderate or severe stunting. This is considerably higher than the global average of 21.3 percent and the South Asian average of 33.2. Moreover, 17.7 percent of Pakistani children in this age group suffer from wasting, compared to 6.9 percent globally and 14.8 percent in South Asia.
Breastfeeding: According to World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan stands at 18% for “Early initiation of breastfeeding” and only 37.7% of mothers practise “exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months”. Statistics suggested that 44 per cent of Pakistani children are stunted (lower height for age, having poor cognition and other development milestones). Compliance to early initiation of breastfeeding; exclusive breastfeeding and complimentary breastfeeding for 2 years could significantly reduce stunting in Pakistan. Despite passage of the Protection of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Ordinance, 2002 (adopted by provinces further), the indicators are nowhere satisfactory.
Infant and Child Mortality: According to UNICEF’s estimate in 2019, for every 1,000 babies that are born alive, 42 die as newborns and 62 die before age 1. 74 in every 1,000 Pakistani children born alive die before their 5th birthday.
Child Health and Nutrition
- Article 24(3-a) (e-i) of Constitution of Pakistan discusses public health and medical aid but it does not explicitly recognize the right to health.
UNCRC
The four core principles of UNRCR include a child’s right to life, survival and development . Article 24 bounds state parties to recognize the right of a child to enjoy good standard health and provide health care facilities for treatment and rehabilitation . The right includes appropriate measures against child mortality and malnutrition and provision of medical assistance and health care, adequate nutritious food, clean drinking water. The article also incorporates pre and post- natal health care for mothers and awareness on health, hygiene, nutrition and well-being.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Zero Hunger – SDG Goal: 2
The SDG goals 2.1 and 2.2 aim to eliminate hunger and malnutrition by 2030 and achieving internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age and addressing the needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers .
Global Trends of Child Health at a glance
- Globally, at least 1 in 3 children under 5 is not growing well due to malnutrition in its more visible forms: stunting, wasting and overweight.
- 149 million children under 5 are stunted, almost 50 million children under 5 are wasted and 40 million children under 5 are overweight .
- Globally, at least 1 in 2 children under 5 suffers from hidden hunger due to deficiencies in vitamins and other essential nutrients.
- In 2018, almost 200 million children under 5 suffered from stunting or wasting while at least 340 million suffered from hidden hunger.
- Only 2 in 5 infants under six months of age are exclusively breastfed, as recommended. Breastfeeding could save the lives of 820,000 children annually worldwide .