Healthcare services : Govt working to ensure quality mother, child care: Tarar

Says helping the disadvantaged and poor a priority

ISLAMABAD: The government is working to ensure availability of high quality mother and child healthcare services to all, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged.

The National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) State Minister, Saira Afzal Tarar, said this, while addressing the inaugural session of the South Asia Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Innovations Meeting, here on Tuesday.

She said that mother and child healthcare was a priority for the government and there was the strongest political will and commitment in this regard.



Tarar said that eminent experts participating in the conference were working hard to make the region a healthier place for all mothers and children. She said that the meeting would help in identifying common challenges, opportunities, sharing of best practices and innovations in the region.

The minister said that the prime minister of Pakistan was taking special interest in the area.

“A 10-point national action plan for National Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health has been developed,” she said.

“We will build best practices and invest in finding new innovative ways to fight mother and newborn mortality, and focus on the most vulnerable,” Tarar said.

“It is encouraging to note that countries of our region have taken numerous initiatives in the area of mother and child health,” she maintained.

“Lady health workers program of Pakistan, basic health services program for primary care in Afghanistan, social health activist program in India, progress in family planning in Bangladesh, improved health indicators in Sri Lanka, Behwaz Program in Iran, and community groups for maternal health in Nepal, stand out as shining examples of success and innovation in taking vital services to the doorsteps of the underserved and marginalised,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th,  2016.