Adolescent girls & mothers: Sindh government to improve iron, folic acid coverage by 2018: minister

The Sindh government is fully committed to improve the coverage of iron and folic acid among adolescent girls and mothers in province by 2018, said provincial health minister Dr Sikander Ali Mandharo while talking to The White Ribbon Alliance, Pakistan (WRAP) delegation, at his office on Wednesday. The minister said under accelerated action plan the Sindh government is catering in all three community demands, enlisted in the petition signed by people of Sindh to improve the status of maternal anemia in the province.
He further added that 25 percent more budgetary allocations has been proposed for department of health for next fiscal year. Later on WRAP delegation presented the 100,000+ petition signatures, by the people of Sindh. Earlier, a petition handing over ceremony was held by the WRAP where Dr Gull Sheikh, provincial director of Sindh Lady Health Worker Programme, said that health is among the chief priorities of government and every effort will be made to secure the health right of citizen of Sindh.
"He emphasised that maternal deaths due to maternal anemia in Sindh is an alarming situation and we have to join our hands to fight against it. He congratulated White Ribbon Alliance Pakistan on raising awareness and running a successful petition signing campaign inaugurated by Health Minister himself in November 2016" in his key note speech.
Speaking at the occasion, the Provincial Director of Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health (MNCH) programme, Dr Iqbal Hussain Chandio urged healthcare professionals and those who belonged to the health sector indirectly and the media to play their role in highlighting the issue. Later on Dr Sahib Jan Badar, MNCH Champion, also address the ceremony and congratulated WRAP on successfully running a 4 months petition signing drive and policies being developed by the government to address various MNCH issues.-PR