Background: More than 450 newborns die every hour worldwide, before they reach the age of four weeks (neonatal period) and over 500,000 women die from complications related to childbirth. The major direct causes of neonatal death are infections (36%), Prematurity (28%) and Asphyxia (23%). Pakistan has one of the highest perinatal and neonatal mortality rates in the region and contributes significantly to global neonatal mortality. The high mortality rates are partially attributable to scarcity of trained skilled birth attendants and paucity of resources. Empowerment of health care providers with adequate knowledge and skills can serve as instrument of change. Methods: We carried out training needs assessment analysis in the public health sector of Pakistan to recognize gaps in the processes and quality of MNCH care provided. An assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Health Care Providers on key aspects was evaluated through a standardized pragmatic approach. Meticulously designed tools were tested on three tiers of health care personnel providing MNCH in the community and across the public health care system. The Lady Health Workers (LHWs) form the first tier of trained cadre that provides MNCH at primary care level (BHU) and in the community. The Lady Health Visitor (LHVs), Nurses, midwives) cadre follow next and provide facility based MNCH care at secondary and tertiary level (RHCs, Taluka/Tehsil, and DHQ Hospitals). The physician/doctor is the specialized cadre that forms the third tier of health care providers positioned in secondary and tertiary care hospitals (Taluka/Tehsil and DHQ Hospitals). The evaluation tools were designed to provide quantitative estimates across various domains of knowledge and skills. A priori thresholds were established for performance rating. Results: The performance of LHWs in knowledge of MNCH was good with 30% scoring more than 70%. The Medical officers (MOs), in comparison, performed poorly in their knowledge of MNCH with only 6% scoring more than 70%. All three cadres of health care providers performed poorly in the resuscitation skill and only 50% were able to demonstrate steps of immediate newborn care. The MOs performed far better in counselling skills compare to the LHWs. Only 50 per cent of LHWs could secure competency scale in this critical component of skills assessment. Conclusions: All three cadres of health care providers performed well below competency levels for MNCH knowledge and skills. Standardized training and counselling modules, tailored to the needs and resources at district level need to be developed and implemented. This evaluation highlighted the need for periodic assessment of health worker training and skills to address gaps and develop targeted continuing education modules. To achieve MDG4 and 5 goals, it is imperative that such deficiencies are identified and addressed.

In early 2023, when Omicron was the variant of concern, we showed that vaccinating pregnant women decreased the risk of severe COVID-19 related complications, and maternal morbidity and mortality. To analyze the impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy on newborns and the effects of maternal COVID-19 vaccination on neonatal outcomes, when Omicron was the variant of concern. INTERCOVID-2022 is a large, prospective, observational study, conducted in 40 hospitals across 18 countries, from November 27, 2021 (the day after the World Health Organization declared Omicron the variant of concern) to June 30, 2022, to assess the effect of COVID-19 in pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes, as well as vaccine effectiveness (VE). Women diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in pregnancy were compared with two 'non-diagnosed', unmatched women recruited concomitantly and consecutively in pregnancy or at delivery. Mother/newborn dyads were followed until hospital discharge. Primary outcomes were a neonatal positive test for COVID-19, severe neonatal morbidity index (SNMI), severe perinatal morbidity and mortality index (SPMMI), preterm birth, neonatal death, referral to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and diseases during the neonatal period. VE was estimated adjusted by maternal risk profile. We enrolled 4707 neonates born to 1577 (33.5%) mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 and 3130 (66.5%) non-diagnosed mothers. Amongst diagnosed mothers, 642 (40.7%) were not vaccinated, 147 (9.3%) were partially vaccinated, 551 (34.9%) were completely vaccinated, and 237 (15.0%) also had a booster vaccine. Neonates of booster-vaccinated mothers had less than half (RR=0.46; 95%CI=0.23, 0.91) the risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19 compared to those of unvaccinated mothers; they also had the lowest rates of preterm birth, medically-indicated preterm birth, respiratory distress syndrome and number of days in NICU. Newborns of unvaccinated mothers had double the risk of neonatal death (RR=2.06; 95% CI=1.06, 4.00) compared to those of non-diagnosed mothers. Vaccination was not associated with any congenital malformations. Although all vaccines provided protection against neonatal test positivity, newborns of booster-vaccinated mothers had the significantly highest VE (64%; 95% CI=10-86%); VE was not as high for mRNA vaccines only. VE against moderate/severe neonatal outcomes was much lower: 13% in the booster-vaccinated group (all vaccines), and 25% and 28% in the completely and booster-vaccinated groups, respectively (mRNA vaccines only). Vaccines were fairly effective in protecting neonates when given to pregnant women 100 days (14 weeks) or less before birth; thereafter, the risk increased and was much higher after 200 days (29 weeks).. Finally, none of the neonatal practices studied, including skin-to-skin contact and direct breastfeeding, increased the risk of infecting newborns. When Omicron was the variant of concern, newborns of unvaccinated mothers had an increased risk of neonatal death. Neonates of vaccinated mothers had a decreased risk of preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcomes. As the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination decreases with time, to ensure that newborns are maximally protected against COVID-19 mothers should receive a vaccine or booster dose no more than 14 weeks before the expected date of delivery.

Introduction: Child stunting remains a public health concern. It is characterized as poor cognitive and physical development in children due to inadequate nutrition during the first 1000 days of life. Across south Asia, Pakistan has the second-highest prevalence of stunting. This study assessed the most recent nationally representative data, the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2018, to identify the stunting prevalence and determinants among Pakistani children under five. Methods: The NNS 2018, a cross-sectional household-level survey, was used to conduct a secondary analysis. Data on malnutrition, dietary practices, and food insecurity were used to identify the prevalence of stunting among children under five years in terms of demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics. The prevalence of stunting was calculated using the World Health Organization (WHO) height for age z-score references. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to identify the factors associated with child stunting. Results: The analysis showed that out of 52,602 children under five, 40.0% were found to be stunted. Male children living in rural areas were more susceptible to stunting. Furthermore, stunting was more prevalent among children whose mothers had no education, were between 20 and 34, and were employed. In the multivariable logistic regression, male children (AOR = 1.08, 95% CI [1.04–1.14], p < 0.001) from rural areas (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI [1.01–1.14], p = 0.014), with the presence of diarrhea in the last two weeks (AOR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.06–1.25], p < 0.001) and mothers who had no education (AOR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.42–1.73], p < 0.001) or lower levels of education (primary: AOR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.21–1.51], p < 0.001; middle: AOR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.15–1.45], p < 0.001), had higher odds of stunting. Younger children aged < 6 months (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.48–0.58], p < 0.001) and 6–23 months (AOR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.84–0.94], p < 0.001), with mothers aged 35–49 years (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.66–0.92], p = 0.003), had lower odds of stunting. At the household level, the odds of child stunting were higher in lower-income households (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.46–1.83], p < 0.001) with ≥ 7 members (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.04–1.15], p < 0.001), with no access to improved sanitation facilities (AOR = 1.14, 95% CI [1.06–1.22], p < 0.001) and experiencing severe food insecurity (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI [1.01–1.14], p = 0.02). Conclusion: Child stunting in Pakistan is strongly associated with various factors, including gender, age, diarrhea, residence, maternal age and education, household size, food and wealth status, and access to sanitation. To address this, interventions must be introduced to make locally available food and nutritious supplements more affordable, improve access to safe water and sanitation, and promote female education for long-term reductions in stunting rates.

Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) accounts for nearly 15% of all childhood mortality in South Asia, with children from rural areas at higher risk due to inaccessibility to healthcare facilities. We therefore aimed to identify risk factors associated with ARI in children under 2 years of age in rural Pakistan.Methods: A retrospective 1:2 matched case–control study was conducted between October and December 2018 in Taluka Kotri, Jamshoro District of Pakistan. Cases were identified as children between 0 and 23 months of age with a history of fever, cough, sore throat, fast breathing, difficulty breathing, or chest indrawing in the 2 weeks prior to the survey. Controls were participants without symptoms of ARI, matched based on age in months. Data analysis was conducted using STATA version 15. Univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with ARI, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: We identified 1,071 cases of ARI who were matched with 2,142 controls. Multivariable analysis revealed that female gender [odds ratio (OR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–0.91], exclusive breastfeeding (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69–0.97), and comorbidity with diarrhea (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.40–1.91) were significantly associated with ARI.Conclusion: Pakistan continues to progress toward reducing childhood mortality, particularly ARI-related deaths, for which it bears a great burden. This study identifies risk factors such as the male gender, breastfeeding, and comorbidities with diarrhea, which could open grounds for further programmatic implications in targeting a multifaceted approach to reducing incidences of ARI in rural areas of the country.

Globally, clinical certification of the cause of neonatal death is not commonly available in developing countries. Under such circumstances it is imperative to use available WHO verbal autopsy tool to ascertain causes of death for strategic health planning in countries where resources are limited and the burden of neonatal death is high. The study explores the diagnostic accuracy of WHO revised verbal autopsy tool for ascertaining the causes of neonatal deaths against reference standard diagnosis obtained from standardized clinical and supportive hospital data. All neonatal deaths were recruited between August 2006 –February 2008 from two tertiary teaching hospitals in Province Sindh, Pakistan. The reference standard cause of death was established by two senior pediatricians within 2 days of occurrence of death using the International Cause of Death coding system. For verbal autopsy, trained female community health worker interviewed mother or care taker of the deceased within 2–6 weeks of death using a modified WHO verbal autopsy tool. Cause of death was assigned by 2 trained pediatricians. The performance was assessed in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Out of 626 neonatal deaths, cause-specific mortality fractions for neonatal deaths were almost similar in both verbal autopsy and reference standard diagnosis. Sensitivity of verbal autopsy was more than 93 % for diagnosing prematurity and 83.5 % for birth asphyxia. However the verbal autopsy didn’t have acceptable accuracy for diagnosing the congenital malformation 57 %. The specificity for all five major causes of neonatal deaths was greater than 90 %. The WHO revised verbal autopsy tool had reasonable validity in determining causes of neonatal deaths. The tool can be used in resource limited community-based settings where neonatal mortality rate is high and death certificates from hospitals are not available.

Various models and strategies have been implemented over the years in different parts of the world to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) in conflict affected areas. These strategies are based on specific needs and acceptability of local communities. This paper has undertaken a systematic review of global and local (Pakistan) information from conflict areas on platforms of health service provision in the last 10 years and information on acceptability from local stakeholders on effective models of service delivery; and drafted key recommendations for improving coverage of health services in conflict affected areas. The literature search revealed ten studies that described MNH service delivery platforms. The results from the systematic review showed that with utilisation of community outreach services, the greatest impacts were observed in skilled birth attendance and antenatal consultation rates. Facility level services, on the other hand, showed that labour room services for an internally displaced population (IDP) improved antenatal care coverage, contraceptive prevalence rate and maternal mortality. Consultative meetings and discussions conducted in Quetta and Peshawar (capitals of conflict affected provinces) with relevant stakeholders revealed that no systematic models of MNH service delivery, especially tailored for conflict areas, are available. During conflict, even previously available services and infrastructure suffered due to various barriers specific to times of conflict and unrest. A number of barriers that hinder MNH services were discussed. Suggestions for improving MNH services in conflict areas were also laid down by participants. The review identified some important steps that can be undertaken to mitigate the effects of conflict on MNH services, which include: improve provision and access to infrastructure and equipment; development and training of healthcare providers; and advocacy at different levels for free access to healthcare services and for the introduction of the programme model in existing healthcare system. The obligation is enormous, however, for a sustainable programme, it is important to work closely with both the IDP and host community, and collaborating with the government and non-government organisations.