Combating malnutrition: Festival aims to spread awareness about health in Thar

The three-day festival will kick off in Mithi tomorrow.

HYDERABAD/ MITHI: The last two years have proved catastrophic for the people of drought-hit Tharparkar, who not only sank deeper into poverty but also suffered from health consequences. As the death toll of children and infants rose ever higher, the health facilities and public awareness of health issues remained lacking.

Acknowledging the prevailing health crisis in the desert region, the provincial health department is organising a three-day health and nutrition festival in Mithi from April 8 to April 10.

"Malnutrition and lack of health facilities are not the only reasons for the deaths of Tharparkar's children; there are numerous other causes," said Sindh health secretary Iftikhar Ali Shalwani during a press conference in Mithi on Sunday.

According to Shalwani, the festival is aimed at making the communities aware of issues pertaining to maternal and child health, family planning, nutrition and immunisation. Puppet shows, play areas for children, food courts, handicraft stalls and musical nights will also be arranged.

He said that around 5,000 people from Tharparkar are expected to attend the festival, which will feature lectures on various health issues in the community. However, he failed to clarify how people from different talukas and far-off villages of the district will attend the event in the absence of transport arrangements. The secretary claimed that the event was being sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and non-governmental organisations without any financial contributions from the provincial government.

"The main issue remains lack of awareness about vital health issues among the people," he asserted, expressing hope that the government's awareness programme will lead to greater understanding of health problems and the shunning of practices that cause illnesses in the long run.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2015.