PESHAWAR, Dec 7: Some 270,000 newborn babies expire every year, out of 5.3 million births in Pakistan, the second highest number in the world.

According to Save the Children report, despite economic recession, considerable political instability and a burgeoning population, Pakistan has made notable progress in some key health indicators and the infant mortality rate has dropped from 139 to 91 per 1000 live births.

Similarly, according to the report, the life expectancy has increased by seven years for men and nine years for women, while the use of contraceptives has increased from 5.5 per cent to 23.9 per cent.

The report revealed that 60 per cent of these deaths occurred during the first week of life. The high rates of birth asphyxia are compounded by the fact that babies are generally born at home and even if parents take their newborn to health facilities, most are not equipped to treat birth asphyxia due to lack of equipment and medication.

The report titled “State of the World’s Newborns” disclosed that approximately one-quarter of all newborns in Pakistan have low birth weight and research showed that between half and three-quarters of all neonatal deaths occurred among low birth weight babies.

The report said that improving the survival and health of newborns in the country depended on increasing the knowledge of essential newborn care and increasing access to the means for saving them.