“All officials of the health department and lady health workers (LHW) will fully participate in the drive,” Agency Surgeon. PHOTO: FILE
KHAR:
A week-long Mother & Child Health campaign will begin on Mother’s Day in Bajaur Agency with the aim to minimise mortality rates in pregnant women and infants.
“All officials of the health department and lady health workers (LHW) will fully participate in the drive,” Agency Surgeon Dr Zakir Hussain said at a ceremony on Saturday.
The National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care is coordinating with the Unicef for the purpose. Hussain added the main focus of the programme will be on diarrhoea in children.
The programme will cover all the eight tehsils of the agency. “During the week, LHWs will deworm 2 to 5-year-olds by giving them a Mebendazole tablet.”
Dr Ikramullah, the organiser of the campaign, said, “They will vaccinate children and pregnant women.”
LHWs will also conduct health education sessions with different groups of women on antenatal health care, breast feeding, birth spacing, personal hygiene and nutrition. “All these activities are expected to reduce the infant mortality rate from 85 to 55 per 1,000 cases and decrease maternal mortality rate from 400 to 180 per 100,000 births,” maintained Ikramullah.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2014.
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