Viruses are the main responsible pathogens.

LAHORE, November 01, 2009 (Frontier Star): Minister Population Welfare Punjab Neelam Jabbar Ch. has said that the present coalition regime has given highest priority to health & education and the provincial health budget has been enhanced by remarkably and additional resources have been provided to accelerate the efforts for prompt achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDGs). While talking to delegations of People and doctors, LHWs regarding Mother and Child Health Week at her residence, Neelam Jabbar Ch. said that viruses are the main responsible pathogens worldwide especially in developing countries; they result in a large number of hospitalizations, costs and mortalities. Diarrhoea results in the hospitalization of approximately 600,000 children annually worldwide, she maintained. The Minister said that it is ironic that infant and child mortality in Pakistan is still very high and out of 21 million under 5 children 478,000 die each year. Respiratory infections diarrhoea and anaemia, low birth weight, under nutrition, are the major causes of morbidity and mortality rates among Pakistani children. She said that the key prevention measures are immunization, adequate nutrition, exclusive breast feeding of infants and hand washing before taking meal, the hand washing with soap after using toilet is most important. Neelam Jabbar Ch. said that welfare centres would be established at the villages comprising three thousand population villages and skilled birth attendants, LHVs and LHWs would be appointed at these centres because the MMR in LHWs covered area is 147/100,000 live births, compared 300 to 350/100,000 to uncovered areas, therefore, the LHWs, LHVs and the community midwives were being appointed at all the health centres in remote areas.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)