TAXILA: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and the district health authorities are observing nutrition week from Monday onwards in Attock in order to check the increasing malnutrition among pregnant women and infants through raising awareness and the distribution of necessary medicines and food supplements in poor localities.

The initiative is part of Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition Programme.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Ibadat Khan said some 48pc of women have anaemia and one out of six children are malnourished.

He said 176 teams, which include lady health workers (LHW), will visit over three million houses, especially in low income areas and slums, during the week in order to evaluate the nutrition condition of pregnant women, mothers and children.

The LHWs will distribute zinc packets among mothers and children and they will also provide special diet packets to stunted children.

Dr Khan added that the LHWs will also distribute oral rehydration therapy sachets for children and that during the drive, 55,000 children, 10,000 pregnant women and 15,000 nursing mothers will be benefited.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2018