PESHAWAR, Dec 18: US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker on Monday launched a $11.5 million, three-year programme to improve child health care services in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and to be implemented by Save the Children, USA, the new initiative will deliver a health package for children under the age of five that will cover newborn care and nutrition, immunisation and treatment for lung infections and other diseases.

Speaking at a ceremony organised at the Governor’s House, NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai appreciated the generous support of the US government and said that without the US help the three-year effort to improve the health care facilities for Fata children would not be possible.

He said: “We are truly grateful to USAID and the American people for recognising the important link between the health of our children and the health of our society.”

Speaking on the occasion, the US ambassador said that at present 135 out of every 1,000 children under the age of five died early in Pakistan, often due to chest infections, diarrhoea, or other treatable ailments. For every 1,000 child births, he said, six mothers died because quality medical assistance was not available.

“The current state of health care in the tribal areas, particularly the health of women and children, presents us all today with a very serious challenge,” he said. The American assistance provided a truly remarkable opportunity to help ensure that the children of Fata got a healthy start in life and that mothers got the support they needed when they were the most vulnerable.

“We regard ourselves as your partner in building a better future, and such a future must begin with good health, and on behalf of the US government, I applaud your commitment to continuing the strenuous efforts to sustain and improve health care services for the children living in Fata,” the US ambassador said.

The programme is aimed at training health care providers and helping improve the people’s access to quality health services across the region. The programme will provide health coverage to over 1.5 million adults and over 210,000 children under the age of five.

By strengthening existing health facilities and services the programme will support positive and lasting changes for children and their mothers.

In partnership with the Fata Health Directorate, USAID advisers will help strengthen agency headquarters hospitals and agency health management teams to foster public support for further improvements in the region’s health care system.—-APP