KARACHI, Feb 13: As a prelude to the 16th International Biennial Conference of the Pakistan Paediatric Association, starting on Thursday, two separate workshops on the key issues relating to child survival and health were initiated on Tuesday.

The workshop participants discussed the situation regarding perinatal and newborn care in the country and the status of IMCI (integrated management of childhood illnesses) in an attempt to identify problem areas and the means to overcome them.

In the opening session of the workshop on the strategies for community-based perinatal and newborn care, separate papers were read on perinatal and newborn care situation in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Dr Nabeela Ali, programme manager, Saving New Born Lives Initiative, Pakistan, speaking on the country situation, presented grim figures. She said neonatal mortality accounted for 40-60 per cent of all infant deaths in the country, with 60 per cent of such neonates dying in the first week of their lives.

She said that some of the major causes of neonatal mortality in the country included birth asphyxia, low birth weight, premature birth, tetanus, infections and congenital malformations. Majority of neonatal and perinatal deaths were the outcome of unsafe birth procedures, lack of antenatal care, health and status of expectant mother and absence of adequate neonatal care facilities in many parts of the country.

Speaking about the findings of a five-year study on mother-care from 1995 to 1999 in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan, Dr Farid Midhet mentioned that 86 per cent of the women included in the study preferred to give births at home, for various reasons. He added that almost all the first time expectant mother and their husbands had no idea about possible impending problems and were thus unprepared.

Ms Rolla Khadduri presented a report on ‘positive deviance in newborn care: the Haripur experience’, and cited examples of positive change in the attitudes and perceptions of the people living in some households in two villages of Haripur in preparation for expectant birth in the family.