KARACHI: The Sindh Government and the Aman Health, a subsidiary of the Aman Foundation, are all set to enter into an agreement with a strategic focus to support the Lady Health Workers (LHWs) Program, it is learnt.
In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Sindh’s health department and Aman Health’s Sukh Initiative at department’s committee room on October 25, 2018, stated Dr Haris Ahmed, Head of Sukh Initiative.
According to Dr Haris, the Sukh Initiative is Pakistan’s first urban family planning project launched in November 2013 with assistance from The Aman Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
It was reported that the objective is to “increase the prevalence of modern contraceptives by 15 per cent from the baseline in selected one million semi-urban population of Karachi”.
Moreover, the project has successfully completed five years which showed remarkable results in selected areas of Korangi, Landhi, Bin Qasim and Malir.
Having said that, the Government of Pakistan initiated the National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care in 1994, which will establish the basic curative services, health education and family planning through a cadre of community-based workers called Lady Health Workers (LHWs).
LHWs Project Manager Ehsanullah said that “as of now there are around 23,185 LHWs are working in Sindh.”
According to a study by Sindh’s Health Department, “Each LHW has provided door to door services to a population of approximately 1200.”
“Since these LHWs are providing services at the grass root level, they are the cornerstones of public health care in the province,” Ehsanullah said.
“One of the fundamental responsibilities of these LHWs is the promotion of family planning services in the communities they serve,” he added.
“Furthermore, the residence of these LHWs is selected as a health house, serving as an emergency primary treatment unit to the local residents, and is equipped with basic health care equipment,” he further said.
In addition to that, the Lady Health Workers have also played a significant role in the eradication of polio in Pakistan. Other services provided by the LHWs include population growth monitoring, vaccinations, nutrition advice, antenatal and postnatal care.
It is said that with time the focus on family planning has reduced, however, this is a critical strategy for the reduction of maternal mortality as well as infant mortality.
“There is a need to refocus LHWs role towards family planning education and services,” the project manager said.
Ehsanullah further added that they have “introduced base practices in the Sindh LHW program while a joint monitoring mechanism has been developed by engaging senior management of LHWs”.
“We are also working on field monitoring, life skills-based education in LHWs program, making the best use of the latest technologies etc”, Ehsanullah added.
The Sukh Initiative collaborated with the Sindh LHW program in 2016 to reorient LHWs on family planning. Following that, more than 200 LHWs were trained on counselling and developing a focus on family planning.
