Curbing maternal and child mortality: Lack of awareness, political support hampering efforts
Speakers call for collaborative efforts of political leaders and health experts to up relevant health care activities.
PESHAWAR:
Political leaders and health experts will have to work together if health care services are to be improved in Pakistan.
This was discussed at a seminar on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) on Monday. They said that fewer funds are being allocated for health care due to lack of awareness and political support, which in turn is hampering efforts to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for maternal and child mortality.
The seminar, the first in its series, was organised by Aga Khan University’s Division of Women and Child Health, with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and was attended by representatives from political and religious parties and civil society organisations.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Secretary Health Dr Noorul Eman acknowledged that the province’s health indicators are alarming and a concerted effort, through public-private partnerships, is required for any significant change. He pointed out that in spite of a higher doctor to population ratio of 80 in K-P, as compared to 70 in India and 60 in Sri Lanka, the desired health outcomes have not been achieved.
Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, chairperson of the Women and Child Health Division at Aga Khan University, called for integration of maternal and newborn care services and scaling up related activities such as optimal birth spacing. He claimed that with concerted efforts and actual practise, over two-thirds of all unnecessary maternal, newborn and child deaths can be avoided.
Dr Bhutta said that child health programmes have been vertical in their approach and implemented from the top only, which is why they seem to lose their efficacy at the lower levels. He added that it is important for policymakers to consider addressing the income inequality gap to improve immunisation.
Dr Shereen Zulfiqar of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre said Pakistan was one of the first countries in the region to develop a national policy on reproductive health, but unfortunately its indicators have changed little since then. “Though Pakistan’s population has doubled between 1951 and 1998, no serious measures have been taken by any government to contain it,” Dr Shereen added.
Dr Nabeela Ali, the chief of party of USAID Technical Assistance Unit for Health, pointed out that health expenditure as percentage of GDP has dropped to a mere 0.27 per cent in 2011-2012. She said the target for placement of trained community midwives has barely reached the halfway mark, years after the process had started.
The seminars are intended to build consensus on innovative, cost-effective and sustainable interventions and implementation strategies that can improve maternal, newborn and child health conditions in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2012.
Political leaders and health experts will have to work together if health care services are to be improved in Pakistan.
This was discussed at a seminar on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) on Monday. They said that fewer funds are being allocated for health care due to lack of awareness and political support, which in turn is hampering efforts to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for maternal and child mortality.
The seminar, the first in its series, was organised by Aga Khan University’s Division of Women and Child Health, with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and was attended by representatives from political and religious parties and civil society organisations.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Secretary Health Dr Noorul Eman acknowledged that the province’s health indicators are alarming and a concerted effort, through public-private partnerships, is required for any significant change. He pointed out that in spite of a higher doctor to population ratio of 80 in K-P, as compared to 70 in India and 60 in Sri Lanka, the desired health outcomes have not been achieved.
Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, chairperson of the Women and Child Health Division at Aga Khan University, called for integration of maternal and newborn care services and scaling up related activities such as optimal birth spacing. He claimed that with concerted efforts and actual practise, over two-thirds of all unnecessary maternal, newborn and child deaths can be avoided.
Dr Bhutta said that child health programmes have been vertical in their approach and implemented from the top only, which is why they seem to lose their efficacy at the lower levels. He added that it is important for policymakers to consider addressing the income inequality gap to improve immunisation.
Dr Shereen Zulfiqar of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre said Pakistan was one of the first countries in the region to develop a national policy on reproductive health, but unfortunately its indicators have changed little since then. “Though Pakistan’s population has doubled between 1951 and 1998, no serious measures have been taken by any government to contain it,” Dr Shereen added.
Dr Nabeela Ali, the chief of party of USAID Technical Assistance Unit for Health, pointed out that health expenditure as percentage of GDP has dropped to a mere 0.27 per cent in 2011-2012. She said the target for placement of trained community midwives has barely reached the halfway mark, years after the process had started.
The seminars are intended to build consensus on innovative, cost-effective and sustainable interventions and implementation strategies that can improve maternal, newborn and child health conditions in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2012.