March 17, 2008	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 8, 1429

PESHAWAR, March 16: The World Food Programme (WFP) and Directorate of Health are set to launch free edible oil distribution scheme among women in four regions of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) from next month, officials said here on Sunday.

The project with a budget of Rs56.87 million would be started in four regions: Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand and Orakzai from April 1 and only pregnant women would be the beneficiaries.

The UN agency’s share in the programme is Rs49.92 million while the government of Pakistan would contribute an amount of Rs7.77 million. The project would be completed over a period of two years and the WFP would bear transportation and distribution costs of the consignment from Karachi to Peshawar and onward distribution in the tribal region.

Under the programme each would-be mother will be provided 15 litters of edible oil. Each of the women in the designated areas would be give two tins of oil during antenatal period and as many tins in postnatal period to each of them.

An official said that main objectives of the programme was to encourage the local population, particularly women, to start visiting basic health units and improve mother-child health in the far-flung areas that had been deserted. He said that the programme would help in reactivating health units in the Fata.

He said that the free oil programme would be carried out through lady health visitors (LHVs) in respective regions. These LHVs would register expecting mothers in the target areas. For this purpose the directorate of health had started training of the field staff.

Officials said that the purpose behind the launching of the programme was to lure pregnant women to the health facilities. Once they start arriving for receiving edible oil to the health facilities, they would undergo medical check-ups and would be advised medication accordingly.

“In many countries of Asia and Africa, the UN agency has initiated such programmes for increasing mother-child enrolment in hospitals,” they said, adding that through the programme both mother and child would be vaccinated in the remote areas. And women would be subjected to desired investigations besides immunisation and other required medical facilities.