June 20, 2003	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 19: The Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education has called upon the district governments to play an active role in successful running of Tawana Pakistan, a nutritional project for girl child.

The call was made by the ministry secretary, Parveen Qadir Agha, while presiding over a meeting held here on Thursday to review the project progress.

Tawana Pakistan has been started by the ministry in 29 districts to meet nutritional demands of girl students up to 16 years of age.

Besides offering one meal during school time, the ministry also provides multi vitamins to the students. The project also aims at improving health as well as education status of girls with the logistical and technical support of the Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM) and Agha Khan University.

National Director Tawana Pakistan Dr Nasir Jaleel Qureshi, PBM managing director Brig Mohammad Sarfraz, and programme coordinator, Agha Khan University, Dr Naseer Nizamani, also attended the meeting and presented progress reports of their respective areas of responsibilities. The participants of the meeting were told that in 29 districts, 3,585 schools had been covered under the programme, and funds amounting to Rs446.806 million had also been transferred to district nutrition committees.

The women development ministry secretary said better health of girls students was of critical importance for the entire nation because healthy mothers gave birth to healthy babies and instances of maternal and child mortality also decreased.