Editorial

Why a special issue of the BMJ on South Asia?

BMJ 2003; 327 doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7421.941 (Published 23 October 2003)
Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:941

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  1. Zulfiqar Bhutta,, Husein Lalji Dewraj professor of paediatrics and child health (zulfiqar.bhutta@aku.edu),
  2. Samiran Nundy,, consultant gastrointestinal surgeon (snundy@hotmail.com),
  3. Kamran Abbasi, deputy editor (kabbasi@bmj.com)
  1. Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
  2. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi 110016, India
  3. BMJ, London WC1H 9JR

    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 …

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