PESHAWAR: The health department has planned to begin a study across the province to ascertain the levels of folic acid, iron and vitamins in infants, children, teens and women and their nutritional, immunisation, iodine and mineral status.

Sanitation, access to drinkable water and socioeconomic condition of the population will also be examined during the study being launched as part of the 4th National Nutrition Survey under the guidance of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulation, provincial director-general (health services) Dr Ayub Rose told Dawn.

He said the NNS 2018 slated to get under way on August 31 in collaboration with the Unicef, DFID and the Aga Khan University under the supervision of the federal government through a technical and steering committee would guide the government on the development of policies and programmes to deal with health issues along professional lines based on scientific evidence.

The exercise has been completed in Peshawar with the support of the Khyber Medical University which covered teenagers (10-18 years), children aged under five and women under 15-48 years of age, and level of breastfeeding during the initiative.

Exercise will also ascertain people’s socioeconomic conditions

Both qualitative and quantitative data will be compiled showing the level of issues and staff and ways to cope with the situation, he said.

The DG said the availability of services of gynecologists, requirements, sources and health facilities was part of the move to improve health indicators.

He said the Unicef would act as the third-party independent party to monitor the survey by the health department.

“To ensure the authenticity of the study and formulate effective programmes for future interventions, the district health officers have been instructed to fully support and ensure facilitation of the NNS teams,” he said.

According to him, the home department has issued no objection certificate for the survey and promised the police security for surveyors.

He said the focal group discussions at the district and provincial levels will take place to have full analysis for the formulation of health policies by the government.

Dr Ayub said the department would deploy health workers from the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and nutrition, lady health workers and mother and child programmes to get the desired results.

“It will give a clear picture about the existing indicators, which will help the government make future interventions with regard improvement in health of the population,” he said.

He said in Peshawar, the department had selected 55 houses in collaboration with the Khyber Medical University, while a total of 909 primary sampling units would be covered in the province.

Dr Ayub said the health department was facilitating the implementation of data collection process.

“The cross-sectional survey will determine the nutritional status of population through assessment and analysis of blood and urine samples for micronutrients, knowledge, attitude and practice regarding young and infant child feeding (IYCF) practices, access to food and clean drinking water and use of sanitation services,” he said.

The last NNS was conducted in 2011.

He said the surveyors would undertake field visits and generate district specific information regarding malnutrition and micronutrients deficiency among women, adolescent girls and children.

The DG said determining the levels of water and sanitation for health among people, prevalence of common infectious diseases among them and their access to health facilities and clean drinking water were also on the agenda of the survey.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2018