Mahrukh Naeem
With an estimated population of approximately 191 million individuals, Pakistan was the globe’s sixth most populated country. A large portion of humanity is made up of young individuals from various cultures and ethnicities. As of 2003, at least 36% of Pakistanis resided in huge cities while roughly half of the population at that time lived in towns with populations of more than 5000 people.
Myocardial in cardiovascular disease and the more prevalent lower respiratory infections are the leading causes of mortality in Pakistan. This has contributed to the the country’s elevated death rate. Males have a life expectation of 66.5 years, while females have a life age of 67.2 years. Pakistan has the greatest rate of infant death in the world. Further to a 2012 research, this is due to the amount of newborns that die on their first day of life.
The Most Common Causes of Death
Ischemia of the Heart
In Pakistan, the leading cause of mortality is ischemia heart disease, which is generally known as coronary artery disease. This accounts for around 8% of all fatalities. Because of insufficient nutrition, insufficient of exercise, and smoking, the Pakistani population is at risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, increased cigarette usage, high blood pressure, obesity, inactivity, and growing up exposed to bad diets all contribute to ischemic heart disease susceptibility.
Cancer
Cancer and lower respiratory infections are also among the top causes of mortality, accounting for 8% of all fatalities. The number of cancer cases has steadily increased during the two decades prior. Lung cancer, which is more prevalent in males, and breast cancer, which is more common in women, are the two most common kinds of cancer. Many factors, including a lack of public knowledge, have contributed to the high cancer death rate. Pakistan has a serious dearth of medical facilities to treat cancer patients, with just 40% having access to adequate health care. A large percentage of patients (60%) lack access to diagnosis and medical services. Many Pakistanis end up with advanced stages cancer attributable to an absence from hospice services, which is medication to reduce cancer symptoms.
Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are infections that affect the lungs.
Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are extremely frequent in children under the age of five. This accounts for around 20-30% of all child fatalities during the previous 15 years. Lower respiratory diseases such as epiglottitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, laryngitis, a case of respiratory illnesses, and less frequent disorders like as empyema and abscess of the lungs are particularly common as a result of insufficient medical care and a lack of child survival programmes. Furthermore, due to insufficient training, community health workers and general practitioners are unable to cope with growing instances of infections of the respiratory tract. The absence of public understanding is also a crucial factor in the predominance. But the most recent launch of the WHO and UNICEF child sickness project has created perfect possibilities for identifying and treating the disease.
Stroke, diarrheal illnesses, Neonatal Encephalopathy, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tuberculosis, Pre-Term Birth Complications, and diabetes are among the other main causes of mortality.
In recent times, accessibility to improved healthcare services has been shown to be an important obstacle in lowering the prevalence of fatalities. Improved public awareness, on the other hand, can help minimise the number of fatalities caused by these major diseases.
The writer is the student of journalism department Punjab University Lahore.
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