Mother-child healthcare program worth Rs20b approved: Nasir
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Federal Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan Friday said that the government has approved Rs 20 billion Mother and Child Healthcare Programme to improve health status of children and women in the country.
He was addressing the concluding ceremony of a two-week long regionalcourse on “ Infant and young Child Feed Counselling”, at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. The course was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF andthe World Health Organization, and attended by about thirty five participants from ten countries including Pakistan.
Mr. Nasir Khan said the government is making all resources available for better health services and the Mother and Child health care programme is a major step in that direction.
He said the programme spanning over five years will be implemented inclose collaboration with the provincial and district governments. He said the ministry of health has taken a number of initiatives towardspromoting breast feeding and infant feeding practices and a national programme will be launched across the country next month in this regard.
He said the lady health workers are already doing an excellent job atthe community level for promoting infant and young children breastfeeding.
Later, the minister distributed certificates among the participants of the course.