QUETTA, Nov 18: The government and private sector should work jointly to reduce the rate of maternal and infant mortality in Balochistan which is higher than in other provinces.

“At present, the maternal and infant mortality rate is 850 for every 100,000 live births in comparison to around 300 in other parts of the country.”

This was stated at a ceremony held here on Tuesday for launching the Pakistan Initiative for the Mothers and Newly-Born (PAIMAN) project in the districts of Quetta, Gwadar, Sibi and Zhob.

PAIMAN, a five-year project funded by USAID, is already working in Lasbela and Jaffarabad districts.Balochistan health secretary Qayyum Nazar Changezi said that limited resources, lack of amenities, poor infrastructure, scattered population and large areas were the main causes for the poor state of health services in the province.

He said that support from the private sector, NGOs and organisations like PAIMAN would be welcome in order to improve the situation in the province because the government alone could not solve the problem.

He said that PAIMAN workshop, in coordination with the health department, would help to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate.

PAIMAN chief Dr Nabeela Ali said that there had been some improvement in antenatal and post-natal care and vaccination in Lasbela and Jaffarabad and the number of deliveries at the upgraded health facilities had increased.

“We will not let a mother die every 20 minutes in the country and will do our best to improve their lot,” she said.