Child mortality

In Upper Kohistan, 98 out of 718 babies – roughly 13.65 per cent – were born underweight, making it the most affected district in the province. Kolai Palas followed with a 9.04 per cent rate (34 out of 376), while Upper Chitral recorded 76 such cases out of 1,212 births, translating to 6.27 per cent.

The situation in Afghanistan is dire, with children under five suffering the most. Health experts, international aid organisations, and the government are carving ways to work together to prevent further loss of life.

The report states that 54 million students in India alone were impacted, primarily due to severe heatwaves that led to widespread school closures and changes in academic schedules.

The aim of NHM is to ensure progress towards the goals and targets set out in the National Health Policy, 2017 for ensuring "universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care services, accountable and responsive to people's needs".

The health impacts of the climate crisis do not fall evenly. Vulnerable populations — women, children, ethnic minorities, and those in poverty — bear the brunt.

Polio predominantly affects children under five and causes lifelong paralysis. Despite global eradication efforts, challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and security threats have hindered progress in the region.

In 2014, the WHO certified India as polio-free after three years without a single case of wild poliovirus. This was a moment of triumph, celebrated globally as a landmark achievement in public health.

The ‘No Time to Waste’ was launched in 2022 to respond to the global food and nutrition crisis. Since then, UNICEF has raised over...