TWO more children have been paralysed by poliovirus in Tank and North Waziristan, bringing Pakistan’s cases this year to 23. Of these, 15 are from KP. This concentration means that the province has become the epicentre of the crisis and that routine responses are failing to turn the
TWENTY-ONE children have been paralysed by polio in Pakistan this year, the latest two in Kohistan and Badin. Each new case is a painful reminder that we remain one of only two countries where the virus still spreads. That a disease wiped out in most of the world
The State of Children in Pakistan 2024 report was prepared by and launched on April 30 this year by the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC). Established by the Federal Government on February 28, 2020 as an independent statutory body, the NCRC has the overarching mandate
Naheed, a Hafiz-i-Quran from Mirpurkhas and mother of two, has spent the last eight years within prison walls awaiting a decision on her pending appeal. Her embroidery and crochet work, sold through a prison-run sewing centre, sustains her children on the outside. The failure of her case is
When Fatima was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at just three years old, her parents were overwhelmed. Like so many families in similar situations, they faced a maze of uncertainty—confusion, societal stigma, and a painful lack of support services. They wondered if their daughter would ever speak,
FARHAN did not want to go to his madressah. He refused, for a few days, and told his family that he was afraid. His family believed the best course of action was to send him back to a place where they felt he would learn enough to serve
LAHORE: Delays in procurement of oxygen cylinders, lack of adherence to safety protocols have caused the deaths Where the Punjab government claims to be spending billions of rupees on the health sector, nurseries at public hospitals remain in a deplorable state. With air conditioning units dysfunctional, ventilators out-of-order,
Pakistan stands at a critical demographic and health crossroads. With one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world outside Africa, a population of almost 250 million, high food insecurity and limited water, there is an urgent need for population policy reforms that keep the living alive
Pakistani children aren’t safe. That’s not opinion or exaggeration. It’s the bleak, burning truth we keep looking away from. They’re ignored, exploited, brutalised and abandoned on every possible front. But don’t think for a second the numbers in this piece tell the whole story. For every reported case,
The savage beating to death of a madrassa student in a Swat village, followed by a ridiculous attempt at covering it up, is a reminder of the pathetic state of education in much of the country, as unqualified teachers sadistically punish children for common negative behaviors. In the
UNICEF Pakistan: 2024 Annual Report Highlights In 2024, UNICEF Pakistan continued to advance the rights and wellbeing of children and women across the country, despite persistent humanitarian, economic, and climate-related challenges. The following are some key programmatic areas covered in the report: Key Results Achieved in 2024: 45
The heartbreaking loss of 20 infants — mostly newborns — at Pakpattan’s District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital between June 16 and 22 is a damning indictment of systemic healthcare failures. While five health officials, including the Health CEO and Medical Superintendent, have been remanded, the initial inquiries reveal a tragedy rooted