PESHAWAR
\nHealth experts at launching of Maternal Nutrition Campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa made an observation that if nations want to secure their future they have to make investment in nutrition to ensure better health of coming generations.
\nExpending money in nutrition is infact investment of saving billions of rupees being spent to overcome impacts of malnutrition, they added.
\nThese views were expressed by them while speaking at launching of Nourish Maa (Healthy Mother) held here at a local hotel on Thursday.
\nProvincial Minister for Health, Syed Qasim Ali Shah was chief guest on the occasion and a number of health officials, doctors and workers attended the ceremony.
\nNourish Maa is the initiative of Nutrition International and is launched in two districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Mardan and Battagram.
\nSpeaking on the occasion, Dr. Irshad Danish, Senior Regional Advocacy Advisor Nutrition International, said that the overall stunting percentage in Pakistan is around 40 percent which is alarming and reflects malnutrition among female and children.
\nAround 57 percent of adolescent girls are anemic and 27 percent of women of reproductive age are vitamin A deficient while 22 percent are zinc deficient.
\nThe campaign of Nourish Maa aims to promote maternal nutrition by improving the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers (HCPs) and frontline health workers (FHWs), he told the participants.
\nThis campaign, already operational in six districts across Punjab and Sindh, has now extended to KP, focusing on two high-burden districts – Mardan and Battagram, where maternal malnutrition rates are particularly concerning.
\nBuilding on its success in Punjab and Sindh, NourishMaa campaign now expands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aims to reach over 1,000 healthcare providers and frontline health workers, enhancing their knowledge and skills on maternal nutrition, he continued.
\n\u201cThe health and nutrition of mothers and children are foundational pillars for the overall development of our society\u201d said Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Minister for Health KP.
\nEmphasizing the critical role of maternal nutrition in ensuring the health and wellbeing of both mothers and children, the Minister underscored the urgency of addressing maternal malnutrition, stressing the pivotal role of healthcare providers in creating a healthier future.
\nHe called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to implement effective interventions and ensure sustained improvements in maternal nutrition across the province.
\nThe health minister, referencing the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2018, highlighted that women of reproductive age face the triple burden of malnutrition \u2013 14.4% are underweight, 38% are overweight and obese, 42.7% suffer from anaemia with a high prevalence of other micronutrient deficiencies.
\nWhile KP\u2019s rates of anemia (27.5%) and micronutrient deficiencies are lower than the national figures, concerted efforts are required to further improve these indicators. To address these concerning statistics, the government prioritizes women-centric and equity-based strategies and programs, which have informed the development of this campaign. Appreciating Nutrition International for its support to the Health Department, the Minister for health requested the expansion of the Campaign to other districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with low maternal nutrition indicators.
\nThe NourishMaa campaign, spearheaded by Nutrition International in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination (MoNHSRC) and provincial health departments, is designed to complement the government\u2019s ongoing efforts to elevate women\u2019s nutrition in the country.
\nThe campaign\u2019s core objectives include raising awareness about maternal nutrition and strengthening the capabilities of HCPs in both public and private sectors, alongside FHWs to incorporate nutrition counselling on their routine practice.
\nAltogether, this initiative aims to reach over 6,000 HCPs and FHWs in the targeted districts, enhancing their knowledge and capacities in maternal nutrition and integrating nutrition counseling into their daily practices. This comprehensive approach aims to create a lasting impact on maternal and child health in the country.
\n\u201cNutrition International is dedicated to advancing maternal nutrition in the country through research, program implementation, technical assistance, policy advocacy and capacity building of key stakeholders,\u201d said Dr. Irfan Ullah, Deputy Country Director for Pakistan, Nutrition International while addressing the audience at the launch event.
\nHe added, \u201cImproving knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care providers is the key component for creating an enabling environment for maternal nutrition, and this objective is at the core of what the NourishMaa campaign aims to achieve.
\nHighlighting the campaign\u2019s success in Sindh and Punjab, Dr. Irfan shared that the project reached over 5,600 HCPs and FHWs on different facets of maternal nutrition and their critical role in nutrition counseling.
\nThrough interpersonal communication, sensitization sessions, capacity building workshops, and seminars, the Campaign has made significant progress.
\nAdditionally, specialized doctors from all targeted districts were trained as master trainers who engaged over 700 HCPs in their respective districts on maternal nutrition. Leveraging diverse media platforms, the campaign reached over 1.6 million people, covering diverse range of maternal nutrition topics.
\nBased on the learnings of the Campaign, Dr. Irfan emphasized to integrate maternal nutrition into the harmonized medical and allied health curriculums and the accountability of the maternal nutrition service delivery should be enhanced within the health sector.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR Health experts at launching of Maternal Nutrition Campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa made an observation that if nations want to secure their future they have to make investment in nutrition to ensure better health of coming generations. Expending money in nutrition is infact investment of saving billions of rupees being spent to overcome impacts of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-411275","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n