42 million people to receive lifesaving information and services during Mother and.

Child Health Week ISLAMABAD, 30 March , 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- The National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, launched the Mother and Child Health Week on Monday. This initiative aims to improve the health of mothers and children through awareness and focused services, in 29 districts and five camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in NWFP, reaching an estimated 42 million people between 30 March and 4 April 2009. About 23,000 Lady Health Workers will visit families in their homes and work with 2,000 health facilities to spread awareness and provide life saving services. Every year, 432,000 Pakistani children under five die, largely due to causes that can be prevented with vaccination, hygiene and good nutrition. About 70,000 children die from diarrhoea, mostly in the summer. If families know how to prevent such illnesses, care properly for ill children and take them to the right medical experts if needed, thousands of lives can be saved. Similarly, 20,000 mothers die of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths can also be prevented with good information, skilled healthcare and the knowledge of when to go to a hospital. With April marking the start of the diarrhoea season, we have to take this opportunity to educate families and health workers about basic prevention and treatment, said the UNICEF Country Representative, Martin Mogwanja. Making sure that all family members wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating protects us from germs that cause diarrhoea. Giving children oral rehydration salts (ORS) can save their lives. Yet less than half of children are given ORS when they have an upset stomach. Mother and Child Health Week will spread awareness amongst families, and offer life-saving services such as immunisation for mothers and children, training for health workers and strengthening the public health system to make sure essential supplies are available. Pregnant women will be counselled on the importance of medical check ups during pregnancy, how to care for newborns, and to ensure they have a skilled attendant during childbirth. Similar health weeks were piloted in six districts in 2008, with promising results. De-worming of children increased from 10 per cent to 86 per cent, and the proportion of mothers who knew how to make ORS rose from 44 per cent to 69 per cent. Mother and Child Health Week shows how government, the development agencies, NGOs and communities can work together to create a real difference that will last through generations and spread from family to family, said Mr Mogwanja. UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The worlds largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. In Pakistan and elsewhere, it has provided vital relief and reconstruction support to help individuals rebuild their lives after emergencies. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)