On April 7, the World Health Organization (WHO), making a serious call to action for World Health Day, drew everyone’s attention to the alarming maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Pakistan. It is currently estimated that every day in Pakistan, 27 women die due to pregnancy-related complications, and 675 newborns lose their lives before reaching one month of age. This means more than 9,800 women’s deaths, 246,300 neonatal deaths, and over 190,000 stillbirths annually. The tragedy begins with the realization that most of these deaths could be prevented.

These statistics reveal the true situation in Pakistan, which has made it a cornerstone of its foreign policy to be a rapidly developing state that now fully protects fundamental human rights. However, the reality is completely different, as we are talking about meager healthcare in the country, especially in rural areas.

The World Health Organization’s call for measures to reduce child mortality in Pakistan is not just a report—it is a plea for immediate, coordinated, and sustained actions to save lives and protect the future of families across Pakistan. However, what Western society must do before pointing fingers at Pakistan is to understand what is happening with the social and religious structure of the country that creates a value system harsh for the continuation of existence and blind to the need to protect the principle of life. If we try to compare the conditions under which a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth in the West with those in Pakistan, it is inappropriate.

Especially in the provinces of Pakistan, where over 60% of the population resides, women face inadequate access to quality healthcare, gender inequality, poverty, malnutrition, and lack of education. With all these restrictive factors, how is it possible for them to bring healthy children into the world? Fortunately, the situation is somewhat better in urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, which have advanced hospitals and trained doctors.

In the provinces of Pakistan, when a woman is about to give birth, the ordeal of adverse conditions for a favorable outcome begins. Initially, in the provinces, a family often lives far from healthcare facilities. Additionally, they usually have limited financial means and cannot afford the cost of traveling to the capital. Thus, the often malnourished woman gives birth at home with the help of a midwife or another female family member. It should be noted that especially in the case of home births, there is an increased risk of complications and deaths due to the lack of medical equipment, medications, and cultural influences, such as the perception that baby girls are not as valuable as boys and therefore do not require as much attention.

The worst realization is that the World Health Organization points out that most of these maternal and neonatal deaths could have easily been prevented if the mother and baby had been timely transported to a medical center or if there had been a doctor’s assistance at home. Unfortunately, such situations often do not exist, resulting in the mother or baby dying. There are cases where both are lost. The impact of these deaths is profound. Real-life incidents have always told more poignant stories than numbers and statistics can convey. Behind every statistic lies a mother who never returns home, a newborn who never gets the chance to live, a family that is shattered.

Unjust deaths represent lost potential, broken families, and communities plagued by grief and economic hardship. A mother dying in childbirth leaves surviving children vulnerable to malnutrition, poor health, and limited educational opportunities. For newborns who survive the critical first month, the risk of long-term health complications due to inadequate early care remains high.

When a mother dies during childbirth, the remaining family members bear a tremendous psychological burden as they are now called upon to take on the role of caregivers. The economic impact is also significant, as families often spend their savings or incur debts trying to manage the complications during childbirth.

All these factors compel Pakistan to take action. The country has now committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include the plan to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and to eliminate neonatal deaths through preventive action by 2030.

Unfortunately, even the children who manage to survive birth do not have a promising future ahead of them in the majority of cases, as the country is experiencing a painful increase in violence against children, with 7,608 cases reported nationwide so far in 2024 – an average of 21 incidents per day – according to a new report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO).The conviction rates for most categories of abuse remain below 1%.

These alarming findings come from the latest publication by SSDO, the 2024 Mapping Study on Violence Against Children in Pakistan, which is based on data obtained from provincial police departments through Right to Information (RTI) laws.The reported cases cover a wide range of violence, including physical and sexual abuse, abduction, child trafficking, child marriage, and child labor.In total, 2,954 reported sexual abuse, 2,437 reported abduction, 895 were related to child labor, 683 were cases of physical abuse, 586 were incidents of child trafficking, and 53 were cases of child marriage.

While cases of child trafficking and child labor had relatively higher conviction rates, 45% and 37% respectively, the overwhelming majority of cases—including sexual abuse, abduction, and child marriage—had negligible or no convictions, with child marriage cases having no convictions at the national level.Of course, when we talk about the issue of child trafficking from Pakistan, we should not assume that trafficking is confined within the country’s borders, but we need to see the bigger picture and consider how many residents of the West engage in illegal child trafficking with minor victims from Pakistan through the dark web.

Pakistan has a significant task ahead of it, that of securing the rights of women and children. In terms of health, while some measures have been taken to cover vaccinations for newborns in rural areas, there is still a great deal of room for improvement. The World Health Organization urges the Pakistani government to increase investments in maternal, neonatal, and child health services, with an emphasis on reaching people who do not have access to urban centers.

The heavily indebted government of Pakistan cannot tackle this crisis alone, and this is because in recent years it has decided to spend the majority of its revenues on military equipment rather than on health and education. The country needs support to ensure sustainable conditions for women and infants, and this support can come through the collaboration of various entities such as non-governmental organizations and the partnership of the public and private health sectors.

Religious organizations, women’s groups, and community volunteers can act as powerful agents of change, spreading awareness, combating harmful cultural practices, and encouraging families to seek timely medical care.

Despite the challenges, Pakistan has opportunities to leverage innovation to address the crisis. Ultimately, the reduction of maternal and neonatal deaths in Pakistan depends on one key factor: political will. Without strong leadership and commitment to tangible changes, no future will be given to the children. The leaders of Pakistan have a moral and constitutional obligation to ensure the health and well-being of the existence and future of every country, the dreams of the children.

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Staikou Dimitra writes articles for Greece’s largest Newspaper PROTO THEMA. Dimitra graduated from Law School, a profession she never practiced, and has a master’s degree in theater and is involved in writing in all its forms, books, plays, and scripts for TV series.

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