September 08, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 07, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 7: Doctors, nurses, women health workers and women health visitors attended the certificate distribution session for the participants of a series of training workshops sponsored by Unicef in collaboration with the Nutrition Support Programme of the Sindh health department at the pediatric department of the Civil Hospital Karachi.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billoo stressed the need for a strong and effective network of “preventive health services” in the country.

He impressed upon the audience to actively participate in the activities for bringing about an improvement in the nutritional status of mother and child.

“You can effectively counsel for safe water and food consumption, routine immunization, breast feeding and adequate diet to young children,” Prof Billoo said, and observed that through simple measures, considerable reduction in child mortality could be ensured.

The series of workshops was conducted and supervised by Prof D.S. Akram and attended by doctors and paramedics from across Sindh.

Programme Manager Dr Durre Shehwar Khan highlighted the importance of imparting training to health workers to ensure proper awareness and medical support reaching mothers with regard to the merits of breast-feeding, hygiene and nutrition.

Prof Akram quoted reports that as many as 53 per cent children below the age of five years in the world die directly or indirectly due to malnutrition.

To prevent women and children mortality, awareness through information literature and demonstrations for mothers was imperative, she said.—APP