Fiza Batool Gillani calls for strengthening existing policies to deal with poor maternal and neo-natal health indicators in Pakistan

Fiza Batool Gillani calls for strengthening policies to deal with poor maternal and neo-natal health indicators in Pakistan

Islamabad: (Monday, January 30, 2012) The Goodwill Ambassador for Women Empowerment, Syeda Fiza Batool Gillani has called for strengthening existing policies, and putting in place new ones, to deal with Pakistan’s unsatisfactory
maternal and neo-natal health indicators.

She was speaking after a briefing by staff from the Population Council Islamabad and USAID Technical Assistance Unit for Health (TAUH), the second of two such briefings related to reproductive health issues, at the Prime Ministers
Secretariat, Islamabad on “Maternal and Neonatal Health – Lingering Health Issues” on Monday, 30^th January. The Population Council is recognized as one of the premier social science and public health research organization that responds to the pressing
population and health needs of the country. Also present at the meeting were Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Specialist Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Affairs, Dr. Zeba Sathar, Country Director, Population Council, Islamabad, Ms. Nyla Qureshi, Joint Secretary,
Prime Minister’s Secretariat and senior members of staff from the Population Council.

After a formal welcome by Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Dr. Ali Mohammad Mir, Chief of Party, FALAH made a presentation entitled “High Levels of Maternal Mortality and Neonatal Mortality – Trends, Differentials and Underlying Causes”. 
Dr. Ali’s presentation highlighted the causes for high mortality in Pakistan including high Post-Partum complications (death during and the crucial hours after delivery), lack of training and access to services. If Pakistan was to meet its MDG 4 and 5 commitments,
Dr. Ali continued, there had to be a marked improvement in many areas, from better training of Traditional Birth Attendants, enhancing the role of community midwives to efficient delivery of family planning and ‘Birth Spacing’ services.

Dr. Nabeela Ali’s, Chief of Party, USAID Technical Assistance Unit for Health (TAUH) presentation focused on “Policies, Programs and Gaps in Action” dwelled on the system building blocks, overall goals and outcomes and what hindrances
exist to better outcomes. Pakistan’s health system, Dr. Nabeela Ali continued is in need of a policy rethink.

The main issues, Dr. Nabeela Ali said, are improving service delivery standards, linking these efficiencies to slowing Pakistan’s rapid population growth and reengaging the donor community.

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Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen on Jan 30 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry