Mother, Child Mortality Highest Fatalities In Balochistan: Marri

Government of Balochistan Health Department, Provincial Nutrition Directorate on Tuesday organized a seminar titled "National Nutrition Uplifting" engaging Multi-Stakeholders to advocate the case of malnourished Children and Mothers of Balochistan here at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2019 ) :Government of Balochistan Health Department, Provincial Nutrition Directorate on Tuesday organized a seminar titled "National Nutrition Uplifting" engaging Multi-Stakeholders to advocate the case of malnourished Children and Mothers of Balochistan here at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Addressing to the participants Balochistan Health Minister, Mir Naseebullah Marri said that mother and child mortality is one of the highest death rate recorded in Balochistan due to its less develop infrastructure, demands extra attention and support.

He said that such events were to draw attention toward nutrition situation and its needs for Balochistan.

He said that Balochistan government had already declared Nutrition Emergency in the province to oversee health and nutrition in the context of current emergency and long-term development solutions.

He said that collective and concrete efforts were needed such as community based intervention in nutrition to address acute malnutrition of mothers and children, adding that it were our collective responsibility to support the Provincial Nutrition Programme.

He urged the supporting organizations to extend their interventions from some district to the whole Balochistan to take immediate measures in reaching out the masses living in poor conditions in the far flung areas of the province.

He said that half of the children in Balochistan are stunted 46.6%. The rates of exclusive breast feeding and age appropriate complementary feeding are the lowest in Balochistan as compared to the rest of the country.

The minister said that it was collective responsibility to support the government of Balochistan keeping in view their emergency situation in nutrition.

He assured that present government would make unshakeable efforts.

He praised World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World food Programme (WFP) for extending their support to the government of Balochistan. He said the recent wave of of drought have imparted devastating impact on the health and nutrition status of the communities, which needs immediate and responsive action from all stakeholders and implementing partners.

He said that Federal ministry of National Health Services should engage with all donors and development partner to invest and mobilize resources to support the health department of Balochistan.

He said that fight against malnutrition and improving mothers and child health is prime agenda of the current government. It gives me an immense pleasure that children and mothers are availing best possible health nutrition care facilities been affected by malnutrition in seven districts of Balochistan. He said that Nutrition Directorate has been established in the province for scaling up of nutrition interventions throughout the province.

The minister said that despite of all challenges, government of Balochistan Health Department is committed to address malnutrition particularly among children and mothers in the province on long-term basis.

Balochistan Health Minister, Mir Naseebullah Marri was the chief guest on the occasion. Senators including Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Senator Usman Khan Kakar, Director General Health Services Balochistan Dr Shakir Ali Baloch, Executive Director PIPS Muhammad Rashid Mafzool Zaka, Representative of European Union in Pakistan, Director Nutrition Pakistan Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai and other senior officials and experts.