KARACHI: Expressing serious concern over country’s alarmingly high burden of neonatal mortality, experts at a seminar stated that Pakistan already has the knowledge and tools to prevent most deaths but what it needs is consistent implementation of proven practices, ensuring that every mother and newborn receives timely quality care.

The event — National seminar on accelerating newborn survival and care in Pakistan — was organised by Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD), Aga Khan University (AKU) and attended by policymakers, clinicians, researchers and development partners.

The seminar highlighted persistent gaps in equitable coverage of essential services for newborns, and aligned practical, evidence-based actions to save newborn lives nationwide.

The speakers called for focusing on district-level solutions, strengthening advanced support and a rapid scale-up of proven practices across provinces and regions.

“There is an urgent need to reduce disparities in newborn care across provinces and districts,” said Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, IGHD founding director.

“Simple, proven practices like helping babies breathe, supporting breastfeeding, and skin-to-skin care can save countless newborn lives and improve maternal health,” he emphasised.

Prof Ayesha Isani Majeed, director general-health at the Ministry of National Health Services, announced the formation of a national technical working group to prioritise newborn care and raise its visibility within government platforms.

She also confirmed that routine immunisation has been designated a priority within the National Immunisation Management System and called on stakeholders to champion the cause.

“Seminars like this one provide a valuable opportunity to connect research with policy dialogue, so that provinces and institutions can consider which approaches are most practical and effective within their contexts,” said Prof Majeed. “By learning from the data and from each other, we can make meaningful progress for newborn health outcomes.”

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025