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HYDERABAD, June 16: About 30,000 women die every year in Pakistan due to complications in delivery and thousands of others develop life-long disability because of pregnancy-related problems. This was stated by the secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Sher Shah Syed, while speaking at a lecture programme held at the Hyderabad press club on Thursday.
The programme on “Women Health Issues in Pakistan” was organised by the Women for Equality and Development in collaboration with the press club.
A large number of women, doctors, freed women bonded labourers and others attended the lecture.
WED executive director Imrana Kausar, press club president Iqbal Mallah and general secretary Shahid Shaikh also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Shah said that poor health condition of rural women was due to lack of health facilities and skilled health providers.
He said that the maternal mortality ratio in rural Balochistan was 800 deaths to 100,000 live births, compared to the national average of 340 per 100,000.
He said that the health status of women in Pakistan was directly linked to women’s low social status.
He said that Pakistan’s poor position was seen in UNDP’s gender-related development index (GDI) 2005, where Pakistan currently ranks 135 out of 174 countries.
On the gender empowerment measurement 1999, Pakistan ranked 100 out of the 102 countries, he added.
He said that in terms of health status, the figures were appalling and untimely death and disability of a woman, adversely affected the health of her children, household productivity and the national economy.
Dr Shah said about 25 per cent children were born with low birth weight due to maternal problems and 10 per cent of children do not reach their first birthday.
He said that high fertility with an average of six children per woman had resulted in high population growth of 3 per cent per annum.
Consequently, improving women’s reproductive health through the use of contraceptives and spacing of children will not only improve women’s health but also reduce population growth and allow women more time to pursue economic activities.
He said that there were also marked differences between the health status of women and men in Pakistan.
He said that malnutrition was a major public health problem in Pakistan that disproportionately affected women and girls.
He said that more girls died than boys between the ages of 1-4, in fact the female mortality rate was 12 per cent higher than that of boys.
“This is a direct consequence of lower social status accorded to women and girls, who as a result tend to eat less and face additional barriers in having access to health care”, he said.
He said that women, girls and infants most often died of common communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhoea, pneumonia and tetanus which could be easily prevented and treated.
Dr Sher Shah said the high prevalence of communicable diseases and malnutrition was not only related to poor living conditions but also to the lower social status of women and girls.
In addition, because of social stigma and gender norms, as many as 50 per cent of women suffer from recurrent reproductive tract infections, he added.
“Consequently, poor women’s health in Pakistan is as much a social as a medical problem”.
WED executive director Imrana Kausar said that article 39 of the Constitution guaranteed provision of healthcare to all the citizens without any discrimination.
She said that the state did not fulfil its responsibility nor did it make any serious efforts to meet health requirements of the nation.
She said that according to the WHO the government shared only 25 per cent of the total spending on health while the rest was done by people themselves.
