Nutrition International (NI) in collaboration with federal and provincial health departments through its implementing partner Prime Foundation (PF) on Tuesday launched “Iron Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation for addressing Maternal Anemia in Pakistan” project under COVID-19 Emergency Response Project in seven merged tribal districts.
Chairperson, Health Standing Committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rabia Basri was the chief guest of the launching ceremony, where as Dr. Ikram Ullah Khan, chief Health Services Reform Unit, KP, Dr Shabina Raza, Country Director NI Pakistan, Representatives from UN agencies, provincial and district health departments were also present at the occasion and shared their views and appreciated the efforts of NI and their partners.
She thanked the department of health and Nutrition International in extending their support to newly merged districts on a very pertinent issue of the country. She assured the support of government in all spirits to improve nutrition situation in the province especially in newly merged districts.
Dr Shabina Raza sharing the event’s objectives said that COVID emergency support grant is being offered by the Government of Canada to address maternal anemia in the newly merged districts with provision of IFA Commodities, safe delivery kits and capacity building package to improve situation of maternal nutrition.
It is worth mentioning that this 18-months project aims at addressing maternal anemia through provision of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplements for 78,000 pregnant women, improving safe motherhood by providing 11,000 safe delivery kits (SDKs) to health care facilities in newly merged tribal districts including Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai, Kurram, South Waziristan and North Waziristan.
Under the project, thousands of personal protective gears will also be provided to health care professionals and frontline health workers. Moreover, the project will facilitate government to build capacities of frontline health workers and healthcare providers of newly merged districts on infection prevention and control and improving their interpersonal communication (IPC) skills using MNCH & IYCN focused IPC training manual.
The project districts have been prioritized on the basis of evidence that was furnished by national nutrition survey 2018.
According to National Nutrition Survey 2018, in the region, one in eight adolescent girls is underweight, while an alarming 56.6 per cent are anemic, early marriages, closely spaced pregnancies and maternal malnutrition lead to a high morbidity and high mortality.
Dr Khawaja Masuood Ahemd, National Coordinator, Fortification and Nutrition, Nutrition Wing, Asim Shahzad, National Program Officer for Maternal and Adolescent Program NI Pakistan, Dr. Anisa Afridi, director MNCH program Newly Merged Districts and Dr. Saeed Anwar, Director Prime Foundation and other dignitaries also shared their remarks and appreciated the support of Nutrition International.
In the end Dr. Muhammad Niaz director general health services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dr. Shabina Raza, Country Director NI Pakistan signed an MoU for smooth implementation of the said project.
