Govt committed to provide quality healthcare facilities to women, children, says Nasir
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Health Muhammad Nasir Khan has said the government was committed to strengthening the institutional and human resources capacity to provide quality healthcare facilities to the women and children.
Addressing the launching ceremony of annual report, “The state of the world’s children 2007”, the minister said the government was empowering women in almost all the spheres of life for their own well-being as well as their family. He said women empowerment was pivotal to the health and development of families, communities and nations.
Nasir Khan said women health issues were a priority of the government in view of maternal and neonatal mortality in the country, as well as the government’s national and international commitment to improve these health indicators.
He said advocacy and awareness has a key role to play for drawing much needed focus on women health issues, which remained eglected for a long time.
The minister said neglected health problems, which have serious implications on the lives of women and children were now being addressed.
The report, which launched with title women and children: The double dividend of gender equality says that women’s participation in key decisions improves the lives of women and has positive effect on child well-being and development.
The report pointed out several projects running in Pakistan with the support of donor agencies along with federal and local governments for improving access of girls to quality education, provision of health facilities to them, female teachers’ training, skill development, protection and prevention from HIV/AIDS etc. According to report several thousand lady health workers have been trained by UNICEF due to which million of families reached with key maternal, newborn and child health message including proper feeding practices, which help in reducing child mortality and protect girl child.
It says 69 facilities have been upgraded in 11 districts to provide life-saving services for women suffering complications of pregnancy and childbirth.