PESHAWAR, Jan 25: NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan has underlined the need for a shift in the health policy to focus on prevention of diseases instead of investing on huge buildings.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop organised by the National Programme for Primary Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund on ‘Integrated management of neonatal and child illness strategy’ here on Thursday, the minister said the burden on hospitals could only be reduced by preventing diseases.

He appreciated the performance of the Lady Health Workers Programme in creating awareness at the community level.

The minister stressed the need for integrating various components of primary health care under the programme.

Mr Khan asked heath planners to utilise local resources efficiently to reduce dependency on foreign funds.

He ordered that an efficient plan should be chalked out for child health to be included in the Annual Development Programme.

Other speakers said the strategy for integrated management of neonatal illness had been expanded to the Charsadda, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Swat districts this year.

They said that the project would be expanded to four other districts by the end of the current year.