Nearly 750,000 preterm babies born in Pakistan annually

Each year, some 15 million babies in the world are born too early. Preterm births account for more than one in 10 of the world’s live births, and 60% of them occur in South Asia & sub-Saharan Africa. Pakistan with 748,100 preterm births annually has fourth highest number after India at 3,519,100; China at 1,172,300, Nigeria at 773,600, Tanzania number 12 on list followed by Uganda at 14, and Kenya at 15, says The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth, authored by 45 international multi-disciplinary experts from 26 organisations including Aga Khan University, Karachi and 11 countries with over 40 organisations in support. Worse, Pakistan is eighth of top 10 countries with highest rates of preterm births: 15.8 for every 100 births along, again, with countries from sub-Saharan Africa: Malawi, 18.1 per 100; Comoros and Congo, 16.7; Zimbabwe, 16.6; Equatorial Guinea, 16.5; Mozambique, 16.4; Gabon, 16.3; Indonesia, 15.5; and Mauritania, 15.4. Rate for East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are at 13.6, 12.3, and 11.4 respectively “For too long prematurity has been regarded as synonymous with a limited chance of survival. Our studies suggest that several low cost solutions are possible for care of women before and during pregnancy and importantly after preterm birth. These have huge potential for saving lives and improving pregnancy outcomes,” says Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, Founding Chair of Women & Child Health at Aga Khan University, and one of authors of report. Basic measures such as antenatal steroid injections for mothers in premature labour; ‘kangaroo care’ where infant is held skin-to-skin on mother's chest for warmth and ease of breastfeeding; antiseptic cream to prevent birth cord infection; antibiotics to prevent and fight infection, important cause of neonatal death, are all inexpensive, proven forms of care for premature babies that could dramatically improve the chances of survival.