ISLAMABAD: Climate change has significantly disrupted education worldwide, with students in Pakistan losing 97 school days — 54 percent of a typical academic year — between 2023 and 2024. This alarming statistic was highlighted during a panel discussion titled, “Climate Education: Safeguarding and Empowering Children and Youth in a Changing World” under the two-day global conference on climate change Breathe Pakistan, organised by the Dawn Media Group. Participants noted that Pakistan ranked 7.8 out of 10 on the Climate Change
Child Rights in Focus
MANSEHRA: The Upper Kohistan administration on 7th February claimed that anti-polio drops had been administered to children in the district’s snowbound areas as well. “Our vaccination teams have covered snowbound parts during the ongoing drive, with anti-polio drops being given away to 681 out of 763 targeted local children,” Upper Kohistan deputy commissioner Tariq Ali Khan told reporters. He said that a total of 34,296 children had been vaccinated against polio across the district.
MUZAFFARGARH: A man’s heartless act of hanging his child from a tree was thwarted as the child’s screams attracted locals who rescued him in Basti Makwal in the Shahjamal police area. The police responded a call and saved the four-year-old boy’s life on the night of February 6. Four-year-old Muhammad Wasay’s neck bore marks of the rope used in the attempt. The father, Jameel, took him to an orchard, tied a rope around his
RAWALPINDI: A teenage pregnant girl was allegedly murdered while a man was gunned down by his rivals over an old enmity in the Civil Lines police area, the police said on 7th February. Syed Ahmad, a resident of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, lodged an FIR with the police that his 17-year-old daughter was married to his nephew Zardad Khan. He said on receiving a phone call from his uncle, he rushed to Holy Family Hospital (HFH)
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training on 6th February said that the abandoned hostel building of H-8 College had been converted into a fashion school. The Islamabad campus of Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) Lahore in the building has been inaugurated. This institute will offer undergraduate and graduate courses and will focus on diverse fields of fashion including fabric, dress designing, leather, furniture, shoes and gem and jewellery etc, said
WASH in Households Households 2022 At least basic drinking water services (%) At least basic sanitation services (%) Basic hygiene facilities (%) Total Urban Rural Total Urban Rural Total Urban Rural 91 93 89 71 82 63 85 92 80 Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024) Wash in Schools Schools 2023 Basic water services (%) Basic sanitation services (%) Basic hygiene services (%) Total Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary
AIDS-related Mortality Per 100,000 Population Children 0–14 Adolescents 10–19 Adolescent girls 10–19 Adolescent boys 10–19 1.01 0.09 0.08 0.09 Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024) Number Of Children Living With HIV Children 0–14 Adolescents 10–19 Adolescent girls 10–19 Adolescent boys 10–19 8,300 5,100 2,000 3,100 Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024)
Reproductive Health and Maternal Care Indicators (2017–2023) Births by age 18 (%) 2017–2023 (R) Demand for family planning satisfied with modern methods (%) 2017–2023 (R) Informed decisions for reproductive health (%) 2017–2023 (R) Antenatal care (%) (At least 4 visits) 2017–2023 (R) Skilled birth attendant (%) 2017–2023 (R) Women aged 20-24 years who gave birth before age 18 Aged 15-19 Aged 15-19 Aged 15-19 Aged 15-19 Female Female Female Female Female 7 6 11
Malnutrition among preschool-aged children (0–4 years of age) Stunted (%) 2022 Wasted (%) 2016–2023 (R) Overweight (%) 2022 Moderate and severe (m) Severe Moderate and severe (R) Moderate and severe (m) 34 2 7 3 Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024) Malnutrition among school-aged children (5–19 years of age) 2022 Thinness (%) Overweight (%) Thin and severely thin Overweight and obese 16 19 Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024) Infant
Trends in Mortality and Stillbirth Rates (1990–2022) Mortality & Stillbirth Rates 1990 2000 2021 2022 Male (2022) Female (2022) Under-five Mortality Rate 140 108 – 61 65 56 Infant Mortality Rate 107 – – 51 – – Neonatal Mortality Rate 64 57 – 39 – – Mortality Rate (Children Aged 5–14 Years) 14 – – 8 – – Stillbirth Rate – 38 31 – – – Source: UNICEF (State of World’s Children 2024)
Types of Health Facilities Available in the Provinces of Pakistan Province Primary Level Secondary Level Tertiary Level Sindh 1824 253 14 Punjab 2835 652 22 KPK 2281 381 33 Balochistan 1089 198 9 ISB 31 3 2 Total 8060 1487 80 Source: National Institute of Health (2024)
DERA GHAZI KHAN: After 26 families refused to vaccinate their children during the ongoing anti-polio campaign, health officials and the district administration have engaged with the parents through awareness efforts. After counseling, all hesitant parents were convinced and their children were administered polio drops. The campaign has made progress, with 264,962 children under the age of five receiving polio drops on the second day of the drive. This marks an impressive coverage of 99.29