Nutrition International reaches out to 800,000 pregnant women in 7 districts

Islamabad : Over 800,000 pregnant women and mothers with young children have been reached in seven districts with improved interpersonal counselling by Lady Health Workers, courtesy the support of Nutrition International (NI), which has also delivered an integrated package of interventions for adolescent girls, newborns, young children and adolescents—to reduce mortality, anaemia, birth defects, low birth weight and stunting.

Views to this effect echoed at a national dissemination event held here Thursday with 200 public health experts, development partners, representatives of provincial health departments, civil society experts and media persons in attendance. Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr. Nausheen Hamid was the chief guest.

The speakers applauded the support of NI for provision of high-quality services to improve the survival and health of pregnant women, newborns, and young children in Pakistan under its Right Start Project, which is being implemented in collaboration with the provincial health departments and the Ministry of Health. The project has three components Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN), Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and Adolescent Nutrition.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Nausheen congratulated Right Start for sharing the results of four years of implementation in three provinces. She said, the government is cognizant of the severe malnutrition situation in Pakistan and is committed to providing best possible health facilities, especially to the vulnerable. “We have prepared a comprehensive nutrition programme for mothers, children, and adolescent girls. Together, we can accelerate women and girls’ nutrition in Pakistan,” she remarked.

Director Nutrition at the Ministry of Health Dr. Abdul Baser Achakzai shared his concern over poor indicators of nutrition in the country. He said, as per WHO threshold, Pakistan is in state of nutrition emergency. “We must urgently recognize and respond to this challenge and prioritize evidence-based policies which can address this crisis,” he said.

Head of Development at the Canadian High Commission Christopher King said, Global Affairs Canada will continue to support Pakistan through NI by improving the nutritional status of vulnerable people. He appreciated the project and encouraged scale up of successful interventions.

Taking through the Right Start Project, the National Manager of NI Dr. Aisha Fatima said, the project ensures continuum of care by capitalizing on the first 1000 golden days of life. She said, the programme was implemented in Lodhran (Punjab), Jamshoro (Sindh) and Swabi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and was later scaled up to Nowshera and Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Khairpur and Mirpurkhas in Sindh.

Public health specialist Dr. Shehzad Ali Khan shared the findings of the end-line survey of Right Start, which showed progressive changes in antenatal care and skilled deliveries, and improvement in consumption of Iron and Folic Acid. As a result of engagement with frontline health workers, a change has been seen in breastfeeding practices, he shared.

The Deputy Director of Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition Program (IRMNCH&NP) Dr. Khurram Mubeen said, “We have been able to provide primary health care services to 18% of LHW uncovered areas of Lodhran in the last two years.”

Country Director of NI Dr. Shabina Raza said, NI will continue to support improvements in maternal and newborn health interventions and demonstration of adolescent nutrition in Lodhran. She added, the aim is to sustain and scale up this intervention in other provinces.

Dr. Khawaja Masuood Ahmed, National Coordinator Nutrition at the Ministry of Health, presented the vote of thanks.