Maternal mortality in South Asia second highest in world

While South Asia has made spectacular technological advances, high mortality rates rob children and women in the region of their full potential, a senior United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official said recently.

Speaking at the launching of the Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre’s “Human Development in South Asia 2004: The Health Challenge”, UNICEF Deputy Director Rima Salah said, “The statistics are shocking. One out of every three child deaths occurs in South Asia”.

“In a region where high mortality and morbidity rates battle to rob children and women of their full potential – every day, the focus on health could not be more appropriate or timely”, she added.

The report graphically captures the strong link between poverty, gender inequity and the poor survival rates and well-being of the region’s children and women. A poor child often will not be immunized or go to school, most likely will be malnourished, lack access to clean water and be prey to exploitative practices that jeopardize their well-being and most of them will be girls, Dr. Salah said.

The adult HIV prevalence in South Asia is below 1 per cent, but there is still 5.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS, with an estimated 5.1 million of them in India, she said. India is considered the epicenter of the South Asian epidemic and the second largest worldwide in terms of number after South Africa with 5.6 million.

“Our hope in UNICEF is that this publication will strengthen the process of ‘dialogue for action’ with all stakeholders in human development and that these discussions are translated into more concrete policies, strategies and funding for the improvement of the lives of the women and children in Asia”, she said.

(Source: UN News Centre, 28 July)