K-P govt urged to prioritise combating neo-natal mortality

Underage marriage also highlighted

PESHAWAR: Lawmakers from the province on Tuesday urged the government to make neo-natal mortality a priority in the health sector through legislation.

They stated this in a joint communique after a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Task Force of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Parliamentarians was held under the NUDP flagship at a local hotel in Islamabad.

The meeting discussed legal advice on bills drafted on mother and child health apart from reviewing technical aspects with the help of senior health and law officials.

There was a mutual consensus that no negligence on the health and life of mothers and children would be tolerated and regular legislation was required.

At the meeting, members were informed that a draft bill related to the HIV prevention has been drafted which will be presented to the relevant soon before being tabled in the provincial assembly.

Special attention was paid to underage marriage and it was agreed that there is a dire need for laws on the marriage of minors to reduce the child and mother mortality rates.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2019.