Pakistan newborn breastfeeding rates linked to high child mortality

Health experts in Pakistan report that only one in five newborns are breastfed within the first hour of life. This lack of early initiation and inadequate breastfeeding is linked to an estimated 33,700 preventable child deaths annually in the country, primarily due to pneumonia and diarrhea.

Data presented at a workshop in Karachi by the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), UNICEF, and the Sindh Health Department indicates that only 48% of Pakistani infants under six months are exclusively breastfed. Conversely, bottle-feeding among children under two has risen from 32% in 2006-07 to 48% in 2024. Experts warned that bottle-feeding increases the risk of contamination and infection in areas lacking safe water.

Professor Syed Jamal Raza, executive director of SICHN, noted that infants under six months who are not breastfed face an estimated 15 times higher risk of death compared to those who are exclusively breastfed. He emphasized that breastfeeding support must extend beyond mothers to include families, healthcare facilities, and workplaces. Additionally, low breastfeeding rates are associated with annual economic losses of approximately $2.8 billion in Pakistan.