Nutrition project launched in tribal districts

PESHAWAR:

Nutrition International (NI) in collaboration with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has launched ‘Iron Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation for addressing Maternal Anemia in Pakistan’ project in seven newly merged tribal districts of the province.

The launching ceremony was held in Peshawar in which Rabia Basri chairperson Health Standing Committee of K-P was the chief guest.

Dr Ikram Ullah Khan, chief Health Services Reform Unit, K-P, Dr Shabina Raza, Country Director NI Pakistan, representatives from UN agencies, provincial and district health departments were also present at the occasion and shared their views and appreciated the efforts of NI and their partners. The chief guest thanked the department of health and Nutrition International for extending support to newly merged districts on a very pertinent issue of the country.

She assured the support of government in all spirits to improve nutrition situation in the province especially newly merged districts.

Dr Shabina Raza shared the event objective that Covid-19 emergency support grant is being offered by the government of Canada to address maternal anemia in the newly merged districts with provision of IFA Commodities, safe delivery kits and capacity building package to improve situation of maternal nutrition.

It is worth mentioning that this 18-month project aims at addressing maternal anemia through provision of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplements for 78,000 pregnant women, improving safe motherhood by providing 11,000 safe delivery kits (SDKs) to health care facilities in newly merged tribal districts including Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kurram, South Waziristan and North Waziristan.

Under the project, thousands of personal protective gears will also be provided to health care professionals and frontline health workers. Moreover, the project will facilitate government to build capacities of frontline health workers and healthcare providers of newly merged districts on infection prevention and control and improving their interpersonal communication (IPC) skills using MNCH & IYCN focused IPC training manual.

The project districts have been prioritized on the basis of evidence that was furnished by national nutrition survey 2018. According to National Nutrition Survey 2018, in the region, one in eight adolescent girls is underweight, while an alarming 56.6 per cent are anaemic.

Early marriages, closely spaced pregnancies and maternal malnutrition lead to a high morbidity and high mortality.

Dr Khawaja Masuood Ahemd, National Coordinator, Fortification and Nutrition, Nutrition Wing, Asim Shahzad, National Program Officer for Maternal and Adolescent Program NI Pakistan, Dr Anisa Afridi, director MNCH program Newly Merged Districts and Dr Saeed Anwar, Director Prime Foundation and other dignitaries also shared their remarks and appreciated the support of Nutrition International. In the end Dr Muhammad Niaz director general health services and Dr Shabina Raza, Country Director NI Pakistan signed an MoU for smooth implementation of the said project.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2021.