PESHAWAR, Feb 25: The NWFP health department has planned to launch a project in collaboration with the World Food Programme to bring improvement in the mother and child health services in selected areas of the province, officials said.

The project "Promoting Safe Motherhood" to be completed over a period of five years (July 2004-July 2009) at the cost of Rs176.9 million, will be executed through the office of director- general health services and respective executive district officers (health).

The provincial government had already allocated an amount of Rs2.54 million in the current year's annual development programme for the project. The government will provide Rs22 million over a period of five years, while the rest of 154 million will be provided by the World Food Programme (WFP).

Officials said that the project will use fortified edible oil to encourage pregnant and nursing mothers to visit underutilized first level health facilities to receive antenatal and postnatal health care, vaccination and health education. Each of the pregnant woman will be given free edible oil to help improve their health.

According to officials the project was also aiming at improvement in the coverage rates of the vaccination, such as TT, BCG and DPT at the basic health units, rural health centres, dispensaries and civil hospitals. Lack of vaccination had also been a big problem in remote areas and focus would be laid on increasing the vaccination rate in the areas concerned.