KHYBER
Benazir Income support program (BISP) Nashonuma program initiated in all three subdivisions of Khyber for caring of pregnant underweight women and children with problem of mal-nutrition has successfully achieved its target.
According to the information shared by the official of the program, a number of 13176 beneficiary children aged 6-23 months had been set a target across the district and they facilitated 13064 deserving children with 99% of the goal.
In the same way in PLW, a target of 17568 women to be enrolled in the scheme had been located while they extended the assistance to 18908 females in Khyber under the program with 108 % increase.
Hazrat Umar, presently 21 months old of Ashraf Khel village of Landi Kotal, had been brought by his mother to the local Nashonuma center due to health problems because of mal-nutrition.
According to the center-in- charge at the time of his registration his mid- upper arm circumference (MUAC) was 14 centimeter (cm) weighing 9.6 kilogram (kg).
At the time of his graduation the MUAC was 15.4 cm while his weight was 12.3 kg.
Wife of Sahiburrehman and mother of the child thanked the Nashonuma team for extending assistance in the form of nutrition supplement and cash to meet needs of the baby.
She also appreciated their role for educating her and her family on healthy practices to prevent disease and hygienic and benefits of adequate diet.
When the district child specialist Dr Rasim Shah was asked for his expert opinion on the program, he said that it was a useful scheme that benefited children with food deficiency as well as helpful for the women with pregnancy.
Lack of child health consciousness and poverty had created health hazards to the offspring of rural areas therefore such kinds of schemes were valuable for them, he remarked.
Director of the scheme Fazal Majid in his message said that the BISP- Nashonuma Program focusing the First 1000 Golden Days of Life (Conception or 1st day of pregnancy till 2 years of Baby Life) had the capability to shape the future of the Nation.
Beneficiaries under the program criteria receive food & cash and essential Health and Nutrition services, he added.
He maintained that the program was successfully in progress in various districts of the KP and would hopefully achieve its target of prevention of high rate stunting and wasting, improve weight gain in pregnant women and prevention of low birth weight children.
Highlighting important features of the program Mushtaq Public Information & Communication Officer KP, said that (1) To prevent stunting in children under two years of age, (2) To Improved weight gain of Pregnant women during pregnancy and (3) To Prevent low birth weight children are the main objectives of the Stunting Prevention Program.
Active members of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) under the program criteria can receive food & cash and essential Health and Nutrition services, the official said.
The program is targeting the most vulnerable (children 0-2 years and pregnant and lactating women) of district Khyber having the highest stunting rates (approximately 48 percent stunting rate; Key findings Pakistan National Nutrition Survey, 2018).
Permanent beneficiary of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) female with maximum age of Child baring age (CBA) with proper ultrasound report and TT vaccination card holder is eligible for the scheme. Whereas a child under age two years with farm-B and vaccination report will be benefited of it and both will be provided and the later will receive Wawamum 90 sachets (each sachet 50 grams) for 90 days and woman will receive Maamta 90 sachets (each sachet 75 grams) for 90 days.
It is worth mentioning here that the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has formally launched the BISP- Nashonuma Program in KP on 13th August, 2020.
