What religion and nationalism have divided, health can unite

“South Asia is fast emerging as the poorest, the most illiterate, the most malnourished, the least gender-sensitive–indeed, the most deprived region in the world. Yet it continues to make more investment in arms than in the health and education of its people!”

Mahbub ul Haq, former Pakistani minister of finance and planning1

South Asia has some of the worst health indicators in the whole of Asia and the world.2 Almost 40% of the total global burden of mortality in children under 5 years occurs in its four largest countries.3 About 70% of the world's low birth weight infants are in South Asia.4 Major inequities exist in …