Address by Nutrition International President and CEO at the launch of Right Start Pakistan
May 25, 2017
In Pakistan, adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) show high rates of micronutrient deficiencies:
- 54% are anaemic
- 49% are deficient in folic acid
- 40% are deficient in vitamin A
Anaemia is a severe public health problem:
- 51% of pregnant women are anaemic
- 62% of children under five are anaemic
Pakistan has weak capacity of community outreach workers and low coverage of services, resulting in:
- 48% of all deliveries are not attended by skilled birth attendants
- 50% do not have at least four antenatal checkups
The prevalence of malnutrition among children under five is improving, but it is still high:
- 62% are anaemic
- 60% are not exclusively breastfed to the age of six months
- 69% of children six to 23 months of age do not consume a minimum acceptable diet
- 50% are moderately or severely stunted
- 10% die before age five