Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), Pakistan
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Research on Removing the Three Delays in Access to Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) in Non-LHW Covered Areas of Pakistan

Pakistan, with its current population of more than 180 million is the sixth most populous country in the world and fourth in Asia. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of the population is located in rural areas. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is 276 per 100,000 live births. The under 5 mortality rate is 89 per thousand live births, infant mortality rate is 72 per thousand live births and neonatal mortality rate is 55 per thousand live births. These figures are far higher in rural than in urban locations. Despite the deployment of a very large work force of Lady Health Workers (LHWs), 35% of the rural areas across the country remain un-served. The non-availability of LHWs in these areas is compounded by extreme poverty which further limits the access to essential health services.