Pakistan to become home of more than 16000 babies on New Year Day

At least 16, 787 children will be born in Pakistan on New Year’s first Day, said estimates from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The agency believes 2020’s first baby will be born in Fiji and that globally, over half of all births on January 1 will take place, besides Pakistan, in 7 other countries: India ( 67,385), China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Indonesia (13,020), the United States of America )(10,452), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (10,247), and Ethiopia (8,493).

“The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us,” Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, said in a statement.

“As the calendar flips each January, we reminded of all the possibility and potential of each child embarking on her or his life’s journey—if they just given that chance.”

However, UNICEF reported that in 2018, 2.5 million newborns died before reaching one month old, around a third of them on the first day of life.

Most of these deaths were from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery and infections like sepsis.

Additionally, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year.

UNICEF pointed out that there has been tremendous progress in child survival over the past 30 years.

In that time, the number of children who die before their fifth birthday has been reduced by more than half.

Unfortunately, progress for newborns has been slower.

Babies dying in their first month of life accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among under-fives in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990.

“Too many mothers and newborns not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results devastating,” Ms. Fore said.

“We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every one of them is born into a safe pair of hands.”

UNICEF believes that providing universal health care can help save more newborns.

Through its Every Child Alive campaign, the agency calling for immediate investment in midwives and other health workers equipped with the write medicines and equipment to ensure all mothers and babies cared for safely.