June 10 to 15: MNCH week to focus on improving awareness of mothers
Programme being carried out across province except Kohistan, Torghar
PHOTO: CREATIVE COMMONS
PESHAWAR:
A mother and newborn child health (MNCH) week is currently under way in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The campaign will end on June 15 during which awareness will be raised for maternal health, well-being of children and the importance of immunisation.
Talking to The Express Tribune, K-P General Health Services Director General Dr Pervez Kamal said the programme is being carried out in all districts of the province except Kohistan and Torghar. MNCH week is observed twice a year where children are inoculated against various preventable diseases.
Awareness
“Besides immunisation, this time the focus is also on spreading awareness,” he said. Over 46% of the province’s children miss out on routine immunisation due to various reasons, the foremost being a lack of awareness.
“Educating mothers is like educating the entire family. Volunteers will impart general health, hygiene, cleanliness and feeding information to mothers,” he said. “Children between the ages of two and five will be administered basic tetanus and de-worming injections.”
The DG said regular hospital visits and check-ups are essential during pregnancy.
Lady health workers are also carrying out door-to-door campaigns in this regard.
“A healthy mother will ensure a healthy baby and healthy children will make a healthy nation,” said MNCH programme in-charge Dr Sahib Gul. “Steps are being taken to minimise the infant mortality rate,” he told The Express Tribune.
Untimely death
During a programme in connection with World Immunisation Week on May 1, Pakistan Paediatric Association President Professor Dr Amin Gandapur had stated 90 out of every 1,000 children die of preventable diseases even before celebrating their first birthday. “The only solution to the issue is educating parents on the significance of vaccinations.”
Under the provincial government’s special incentive package worth Rs300 million, pregnant women are being given stipends to cover their transportation costs as well as free medicines through issued cards. The programme aims to ensure women visit health facilities during their pregnancy.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2015.
A mother and newborn child health (MNCH) week is currently under way in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The campaign will end on June 15 during which awareness will be raised for maternal health, well-being of children and the importance of immunisation.
Talking to The Express Tribune, K-P General Health Services Director General Dr Pervez Kamal said the programme is being carried out in all districts of the province except Kohistan and Torghar. MNCH week is observed twice a year where children are inoculated against various preventable diseases.
Awareness
“Besides immunisation, this time the focus is also on spreading awareness,” he said. Over 46% of the province’s children miss out on routine immunisation due to various reasons, the foremost being a lack of awareness.
“Educating mothers is like educating the entire family. Volunteers will impart general health, hygiene, cleanliness and feeding information to mothers,” he said. “Children between the ages of two and five will be administered basic tetanus and de-worming injections.”
The DG said regular hospital visits and check-ups are essential during pregnancy.
Lady health workers are also carrying out door-to-door campaigns in this regard.
“A healthy mother will ensure a healthy baby and healthy children will make a healthy nation,” said MNCH programme in-charge Dr Sahib Gul. “Steps are being taken to minimise the infant mortality rate,” he told The Express Tribune.
Untimely death
During a programme in connection with World Immunisation Week on May 1, Pakistan Paediatric Association President Professor Dr Amin Gandapur had stated 90 out of every 1,000 children die of preventable diseases even before celebrating their first birthday. “The only solution to the issue is educating parents on the significance of vaccinations.”
Under the provincial government’s special incentive package worth Rs300 million, pregnant women are being given stipends to cover their transportation costs as well as free medicines through issued cards. The programme aims to ensure women visit health facilities during their pregnancy.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2015.