KARACHI, June 27: A four-day masters trainers’ workshop on Lactation Management and Nutrition Initiative, aimed to reduce infant and maternal mortality, sponsored by the Sindh government, commenced here on Monday. The vice-chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, Prof Masood Hameed Khan, inaugurating the event said that the university would provide a platform for research in the field of maternal and child health.

He said that the loss of precious lives of no less than 25,000 women and health of 30,000 women each year was a bitter fact that must be addressed on urgent basis and be taken as a major national challenge.

Prof Hameed said that the interventions to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity would be strongly supported by the university. He was highly appreciative of Prof D.S. Akram, the Project Director, Lactation Management and Nutrition Initiative (LMNI) and head of paediatrics department of the Civil Hospital, Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Akram said that the Sindh government had chalked out an elaborate strategy to implement all relevant interventions required to combat maternal and infant mortality/morbidity.

With reference to LMNI, she said capacity building of health care providers in Sindh would help disseminate information and delivery of services to all women and children.

Dr Akram further elaborated that the role of baby friendly hospitals would be to convert Sindh into a baby friendly community reminding that Sindh was the flag-bearer with no less than 59 hospitals declared as baby friendly against a total of 76 such facilities across the country.

Prof Aftab Munir from the Liaquat Medical University, Hyderabad speaking on the occasion, observed that breastfeeding was important in context of reducing maternal and child deaths as well as complications in high risk areas of Sindh.

Reminding that mother’s milk was a complete food for a new born; the senior gynaecologist maintained that diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections could be prevented through proper breast feeding.

Dr Mahjabeen Khan, program officer for LMNI, Sindh reiterated the need for proper implementation and sustainability of the programme till its goals were achieved.

She also claimed that the programme will be contributory to the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals besides meeting targets under Breast Feeding Health Initiatives.

Dr Shazia offered the vote of thanks. The workshop is being conducted at the Paediatric Unit One, Civil Hospital, Karachi.

—APP