October 27, 2003	Monday	Sha’aban 30, 1424

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THATTA, Oct 26: A one-day conference on sustainable health has called for community participation, a vital strategy in easing up health, education, poverty and other problems at minimal cost.

DCO Mohammad Usman Panhwar presided over the conference, which was organized by an NGO, Health and Nutrition Development Society (HANDS), and held at the Makli Gymkhana on Sunday.

The conference was told that the utilization rate of government health facilities at the national level was 12 per cent whereas it was much lower in the Thatta district, one of the poorest districts of the province with a population of about 1.1 million.

Moreover, the national programme of primary health care and family planning was providing only 20 per cent coverage in the district, but even that seriously lacked community participation.

The speakers observed that knowledge of the danger signs of pregnancy among husbands and wives played a key role in avoiding the first delay and concrete efforts were made to equip them with the knowledge of the complications of pregnancy.

The latest available data showed that 91.4 per cent of men and 88.9 per cent of women were aware of emergency obstetrical care facilities. Furthermore, efforts were being made to educate the community about safe motherhood to avoid delays in access to health care and thus save precious lives.

The speakers appreciated the courage of parents, particularly of far-flung areas, for allowing their daughters to work for NGOs.

Gul Mastoi, Dr Shaikh Tanvir Ahmed, DPO (NCHD) Dr Mumtaz Brohi, DO (Health) Dr Dawood Hillayo, Azra Kashigar, Abdul Wahid Sangrasi, Dur Mohammad Baloch and Mustafa Zaur addressed the conference.

After the conference, colourful tableaus were presented by school children.

Handicraft were also displayed at an exhibition organized on the occasion.