An Overview: Children’s Health in Pakistan, a growing concern

A nation’s success and development is significantly a result of intelligent young generations. All around the world, children are given due importance by governments because it is well-understood that they are the future of the country and it is essential to have a secure, healthy generation. Unfortunately, Pakistan is the third country in the world which has, children with stunted growth under the age of 5. In fact, 5.9 million children of less than five years died in 2015 alone.

Malnutrition weakens the immune system of the body making these children more prone to harsher diseases. Other than that, children in Pakistan suffer from different deficiencies which may not be evident till later stages in life. About 61.9% children in Pakistan suffer from the deficiency of Anemia and 48.9% suffer from the deficiency of Iron. The question that most would raise here is “why”? One major reason could be poverty and illiteracy. Statistics show that an average of 60.78% of Pakistan’s population is situated in rural areas with inadequate health facilities and unsatisfactory hygiene, whereas the rest of the 39.22% live in the urban areas.

It is no wonder that a majority of the children at risk of these deficiencies are from the rural areas. Water systems are poor, water may in fact be contaminated, but there is little option when the summers are cruel and access to the city is not easy. Meals on a daily basis do not contain iron, something that may be acquired through consumption of meat and very few of these families can afford meat. As unfair as this is on a humanitarian level, one ought to understand how it impacts this generation on a larger scale. We lose out on children that could be the scientists, lawyers, doctors of tomorrow.

Health is a universal right and if enjoyed by everyone equally, it could make way for a better, smarter generation. Developed countries like Canada, America, Germany never compromise on health standards and consequently on the future of their country. As an obvious result, children in these countries live longer, healthier lives with the state’s health security at their disposal till their last day.

At the most abstract level of understanding the importance of health, one could say that healthier children are better at studies, sports and other activities of their age. They do well at school and are automatically motivated to do well in life. This results in a decrease in bonded-labor, better jobs, lower crime rate, creativity and competition in the market, better living standards and an improvement in the overall structure of social life. Without doubt, we need this change in the social structure of Pakistan.

On paper, it sounds like a rather loose link; from healthier bodies to leading the future of Pakistan. However, countries that have done this because they ought to as a matter of state responsibility, have only attained benefits and nothing else. With better health and strength, food and cloth no longer remain the ultimate goal. Priorities change for better, shifting mindsets towards a better standard of living and ways of attaining this standard.