Details
Inter Provincial Review and experience sharing meeting in Karachi
The purpose of the field visit was to attend the inter provincial review and planning workshop for experience sharing and lessons learned. Moreover, the team also Presented the presentation on overall program and IEC material with nutrition support program Sindh and for experience sharing and observing good practices in terms of program implementation. Other provinces also presented the presentation of their program and shared the experience.
Participants from Provincial Nutrition Directorate: Dr Naqeeb, Shah Muhammad, Dr. Mustafa, Syed Kazim, Arbab Sanaullah, Hameedullah Khan, Farzana Baloch, Faiz Barrech, Hassan Nisar, Shakeel Ahemd, Naseer Younus, Ihtisham, Ihtiram, Sami Zarkoon, Alamgir Khan Mandokhail, Razaullah, Saeed Yousuf.
Persons met : World Bank Team, Nutrition Support Program Sindh , Nutrition Support Program KP , Nutrition Program Punjab , Development Partners Sindh , Officials from Health Department Sind , NGOs Partner Sindh, Implementing Partners Sindh , Media of Sindh
Background and Introduction of Interprovincial Review :
The purpose of the field visit was to attend the inter provincial review and planning workshop for experience sharing and lessons learned. Moreover, the team also Presented the presentation on overall program and IEC material with nutrition support program Sindh and for experience sharing and observing good practices in terms of program implementation. Other provinces also presented the presentation of their program and shared the experience.
Malnutrition continues to be a major health problem in Balochistan. As reported in National Nutrition Survey 2011, 52% of under five children suffer from stunting (chronic malnutrition). Approximately 25% of children are born with low birth weight and 40% of children under five are suffering from “moderate to severe” underweight conditions, while 16% of children are wasted (acute malnutrition). In addition, Micronutrient deficiencies such as Iron, vitamin A and zinc are prevalent among children and women in Balochistan.
With such a challenging nutrition situation in the province, Health Department Government of Balochistan with the support of World Bank is undertaking Balochistan Nutrition Program for Mothers and Children (BNPMC) for implementation of proven effective nutrition strategies to combat the issue of general as well as micronutrient malnutrition in selected districts of the province by improving the coverage of effective nutrition interventions. The interventions are being implemented through contractual arrangements with partners including Peoples Primary Health Care Initiative (PPHI), Lady Health Worker (LHW) and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Programs both at health facility and community levels.
Executive Summery :
The occasion highlighted Inter-provincial experience and progress review workshop held in local hotel on Karachi. This has provided a unique opportunity to Nutrition campions and implementers to exchange best practices, success stories, bottle necks, lesson learned and way forward to further strengthen the implementation of Nutrition intervention across Pakistan.
Dr Waqar Memon (Program Director, NSP) gave the welcome remarks. Minister Health and Population, Dr. Azra Fazullah Pechuho was the Chief guest of this event. She mentioned that NSP aims to reduce the prevalence of Acute malnutrition among children 6-59 months and anemia in women of reproductive age and improving and improving the Infant Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices in children up to two years. These would be achieved by community and facility-based interventions coupled with mass media behavior change communication in local and national languages through short documentaries, dramas, TV commercials and many other creative means. Secretary Health- Mr. Saeed Ahmed Awan and Secretary Planning and Development: Dr. Shireen Narejo also address the audience. Both of them emphasized on better implementation in featrue
While presenting the progress report of Sindh province Dr. Waqar Memon proposed eestablishment of one unit for implementation of Nutrition services all over the province, inclusion of OTPs in regular cost centres and expanding the network of frontline workers for outreach activities as a way forward message that have policy implications.
Dr. Amir Ali Samnani also communicated the big news that Nutrition Support Program in collaboration with Zeekay Films has developed a cinematic movie with named TALAASH JAHRI HAI going to be launch soon, which has covered multiple issues and bottlenecks to combat the malnutrition issues in Pakistan. He further added the importance of media in effectively tackling the challenge of malnutrition and urged media to play their role in fight against malnutrition. Media can be a vital force in influencing the behaviors of communities.
It must be noted that the project is being implemented through Provincial Nutrition Cell, Department of Health, Government of Sindh with the following implementing partners PPHI, LHWs, MNCH and NGOs in LHW un-covered areas in the community.
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