Why are three million women fewer than men in Pakistan?
The general perception in Pakistan is that there are more women than men. According to the demographic survey of 2020, there are approximately 111 million men and 180 million women in the country. In this survey, it is also stated that in 2017, the population of Pakistan was two hundred and seven point six million, which has now increased to two hundred and twenty point 42 million.
In Pakistan, men die more than women in many incidents, including terrorism, linguistic and tribal conflicts, and industrial and traffic accidents. Drugs also have a large number of men. Despite this, men outnumber women in Pakistan. DW talked to various experts and social personalities in this regard.
Scientific fact
Some medical experts believe that the survey reflects reality and is close to scientific facts, while some critics doubt it.
Former Secretary General of the Pakistan Medical Association, According to Sher Shah Syed, pregnancies are lost in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other developing countries. He told Media, “These incidents have happened on a huge scale in India. It may be happening in Pakistan too, but this survey reflects the scientific facts because it is estimated that if 110 boys are born worldwide, about 100 girls are born. Boys are more susceptible to the disease, while girls have a relatively low rate because they carry their mother’s hormones. Children also receive hormones from their mothers, but when their hormones develop, there is a slight lag, whereas girls do not.”
Obstetric complications
Former president of the Pakistan Medical Association, Dr. Tipu Sultan, says maternal complications can be one of the reasons for increasing the mortality rate among women. “In Pakistan, an estimated 274 out of 100,000 women lose their lives during childbirth, which is the highest in South Asia,” she told DW. Such deaths are low in Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s number is second in this region after Afghanistan.
According to Dr. Tipu Sultan, our rate is high because most of the births are done at home or by traditional midwives or other methods in the absence of expert doctors and medical staff. “In Sri Lanka, it is less because there are many births in hospitals and under the supervision of trained doctors or medical staff.”
Dr. Nighat Shah, a medical expert from Karachi, says that women face three problems during childbirth. “Women lose a lot of blood during childbirth, and it can lead to medical complications if not treated in time,” she told DW. In the same way, women start having seizures due to high blood pressure. While women also get an infection.
In many cases, Dr. Nighat Shah says, if these cases are not correctly treated, medical complications increase, resulting in death. “Pregnancy loss rates have also doubled in Pakistan, potentially leading to increased medical complications.”
