development agenda, which for the first time includes specific targets and indicators on ending violence against women, also replaced the Millennium Development Goals. Internationally, 16 days of activism are celebrated with the theme of “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All!”
health week: Adviser to chief minister on health Kh Salman Rafique has said that Mother, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) week is being observed in Punjab from November 23 to November 28, 2015. The MNCH week has been organised by the Punjab Health Department in collaboration with UNICEF.
“The purpose of observing this week is to improve the mother & child health, control maternal mortality rate and create awareness among the masses especially rural folk regarding the principles of hygiene to promote healthy society,” he said while inaugurating MNCH Week at Government Model Town Hospital on Monday.
Salman Rafique said that unfortunately Pakistan was among those countries where the maternal mortality rate was very high which was a matter of concern for the government and the Punjab government was taking solid steps to overcome this very important issue. He said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had been focusing on the health sector development and EPI routine coverage had been improved substantially by implementing the Chief Minister Health Roadmap Programme. Presently, routine immunisation coverage is about 75 percent in Punjab, which will be improved in coming months.
He said “as the winter season has started; therefore, inoculation of pneumonia vaccine to the children is essential to prevent the children from this seasonal disease”.
He said that 700 basic health units had been providing round-the-clock labour room facilities under 24/7 programme so that pregnant women could benefit the availability of trained staff for delivery and avoid risking life at the hands of traditional quacks. It was informed that Lady Health Workers would visit door to door for creating awareness among the women and immunisation of children and pregnant women against pneumonia, measles, polio and tetanus would also be carried out.
During this week, Lady Health Workers would administer de-worm tablets to the children of two to five years of age. Doctors, nurses, LHVs and community midwives would perform medical checkup of pregnant women and guide them for regular medical checkup as well as balanced diet. During mother & child health week, screening of children, pregnant and lactating women would also be conducted to examine the malnutrition among them.