Open AccessHealth Care Determinants of Child Survival in Pakistan
Author(s) -
Naushin Mahmood,
Kiani Mf
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
pakistan development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.154
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 0030-9729
DOI - 10.30541/v33i4iipp.759-771
Subject(s) - child survival , breastfeeding , child mortality , rural area , demography , child care , environmental health , survival analysis , socioeconomics , geography , medicine , population , pediatrics , sociology , pathology
The health and survival status of children which are importantindicators of social well-being, have become a subject of great concernin Pakistan in recent years. The available literature suggests thatinfant and child death rates in Pakistan are high even in the context ofthe Asian region and progress in health and survival of children hasbeen much less than the desired level [World Bank (1993)]. Althoughestimates of infant and child mortality rates as derived from variousdata sources in Pakistan show great variation, 1 the available evidenceindicates· that nearly 58 percent of all deaths occur among childrenunder five years of age, 36 percent die during infancy and more thanhalf of all infant deaths occur within the first four weeks of theirbirth [Irfan (1986); Afzal et al. (1988); Rukanuddin and Parooqui(1988); Sathar (1994)]. Recognising the fact that most of these deathscould be prevented, it is important to study the processes that arelikely to influence the survival chances of children, the health carefactors in particular, which are important components of mortalitychange.