‘LHWs can help prevent maternity deaths’

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada has urged lady health workers to play their role in reducing the preventable deaths of children under five and mothers during pregnancy and birth.
He was addressing the launching ceremony of Mother and Child Week in Islamabad Hotel, starting from April 2 to April 7 organised by the district health department, in coordination with the UNICEF and the Capital Development Authority. The ceremony was attended by lady health workers, representatives of UNICEF and officials of EPI, CDA and the district health department.
The main objective of the Mother and Child Week is to address the health problems of mothers and children by raising awareness and strengthening the health system to become more responsive. The weeklong activities would focus on prevention of diarrhea among children, use of ORS and zinc syrup, immunisation of children against communicable diseases, tetanus toxoid vaccination for pregnant women, providing counselling services to pregnant women, provision of iron and folic acid tablets to the mother and children for overcoming anemia and malnutrition among children, providing family planning services, promotion of personal hygiene, washing hands and prevention of pneumonia.
The lady health workers would conduct door-to-door visits to the 12 union councils and 14 slums of Islamabad and provide these basic health care facilities to the disadvantaged families and would register pregnant women for all the requisite health care services. Health education of disadvantaged families would also be an important part of the weeklong activities.
Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada appreciated the role of lady health workers in the basic health care delivery system and said they were the backbone of the health care system and asked them the do their work with more missionary zeal. He also appreciated the efforts and support of UNICEF and international community for making the health delivery system more responsive and effective for the disadvantaged mothers and children.
Later the chief commissioner who was chief guest of the ceremony visited various stalls set up by the lady health workers at the venue and appreciated their performance.