KARACHI, Jan 9: The World Health Organization (WHO) has planned to enhance its cooperation with Sindh government during the current biennium 2004-2005 that has just started.
The areas of operation were demarcated in two days of deliberation held under the chairmanship of Sindh Health Secretary Ashiq Hussain Memon. The meetings, which concluded on Friday, were attended by senior officers of the WHO and the provincial health department.
Subsequently, the plan of action was agreed upon at the national level by the WHO Representative to Pakistan and Director General Health Major General (retd) Mohammad Aslam.
Giving details of the priority collaborative programmes, the WHO Officer (Operations) for Sindh, Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi, said that these include polio eradication, acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, expanded programme on immunization, integration of primary health care in Sukkur, reduction of maternal mortality rate in Nawabshah, Thatta, Jacobabad, Larkana, Khairpur and Tharparkar.
These were said to be besides the Programme for Reduction Protein Energy Malnutrition in Naushero Feroze, Tharparkar and Shikarpur. Basic Development Needs Programme in Dadu, Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses in Nawabshah, Control of Leishmaniases in Larkana and Dadu were some of the other areas, where the WHO would enhance its cooperation.
The involvement of autonomous bodies and private sector in the TB-DOTS Programme in all districts, he added, had already been initiated in Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Jacobabad.
Control of HIV/AIDS, blood safety and treatment of sexually transmitted illnesses, prevention of blindness and introducing community oriented medical education in Dow Medical College were also said to be some of the projects mutually agreed upon to be continued during the current biennium.
Dr Kazi pointed out that the Sindh government was the first to endorse the Basic Development Needs Programme. He said that the PC-I had also been approved at a revised cost of around Rs20 million to further consolidate the programme in Sehwan with the WHO and community assistance.
He appreciated the expansion and performance of the TB-DOTS programme by Sindh government, which had been extended till 2006 at the revised approved cost of Rs149.035 million.
Director General Health Services, Sindh, Dr Qadir Bakhsh Memon, expressed his satisfaction over the identification of strategic objectives and interventions for each priority area that had resulted in a clear and shared vision.
Sindh Director General Health also sought due attention of both the health ministry and the WHO towards issues ranging from health policy formulation for provision of adequate training to medical and paramedical staff particularly midwives, capacity building of lady health workers (LHWs), expansion of Basic Development Needs Programme, improvement of health management information system by incorporating the data from tertiary care hospitals.
The meeting registered its satisfaction that while formulating varied plans, proper care has been taken to ensure the optimum and cost effective utilization of the available funds in order to derive maximum advantage from collaborative programmes. -APP