KARACHI, Dec 16: Sindh health secretary Ameer Ali Burq has called for integration of efforts between various departments and communities in order to improve the overall health status of the masses.

Speaking at a parents’ day function on Monday at the Mama Parsi Girls School, organized by Care N’Cure School Health Services, he said that unless certain essential prerequisites, such as proper sanitation, waste disposal and availability of potable water, were not ensured, the health indicators would continue to remain poor.

He stressed the role of proper diet in children’s growth and the need to discourage them from taking junk foods and other substance injurious to health. He emphasized effective counselling of children by parents, teachers and medical personnel posted in schools.

Prof Zulfikar Bhutta of the Aga Khan University talked about nutrition and pointed out that findings of the national nutrition survey conducted recently had shown no visible improvement in iron deficiency anaemia or other micronutrient deficiencies over the past four decades, and called for an extensive nutrition education to rectify the situation.

He enumerated essential elements of a balanced diet and emphasized the fact that ignorance was the main contributing factor in the rise of malnutrition in our society.

Dr Bhutta stressed the need for providing adolescent health services particularly to young girls and provision of meals for schoolchildren in the far-flung or drought-hit areas.

Dr Ghulam Nabi Khan, WHO’s operation officer for Sindh, praised the vision of educationists of the previous century and pointed out that when the Mama Parsi School was established nearly 80 years ago, Karachi was the cleanest city on this side of the Suez.

He alluded to a recently-published study that revealed that 80 per cent of the city’s children, between the age of 3 and 5 years, had a high level of lead in their blood and called upon the petroleum industry to provide lead-free products.

He stressed the need for early detection of childhood illnesses and appreciated the fact that the health secretary had decided to revitalize the school health services.

Dr Kazi pointed out that the health sector was facing great challenges which could only be addressed through political commitment at the high level.

Earlier, Dr Ayesha Usman and Dr Babar Saeed of Care N’Cure School health services presented reports on the working of their organization and highlighted the need for preventing maternal and child deaths through collective efforts and community involvement.—APP