KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Unicef Country Representative Abdullah A Fadil in their meeting at CM House have agreed to launch a child protection program to strengthen evidence-based policy and legislation.
They agreed that Unicef would foster enabling environment to strengthen evidence-based policy and legislation under child labour survey; child protection policy; birth registration bylaws, and protection from child online abuse and exploitation. They said prevention strategies would be carried out to reduce child protection violations and harmful traditional practices.
The key points of the program include prevention of child marriage, parenting packages for positive parent-child interaction, child online protection- ethical and safe use of cyber technology; strengthening of community-based protection structures, service strengthening to deliver equity-based gender-responsive services for children and adolescents, case management and referral system including certified of proficiency in information system management (CPMIS), capacity strengthening of the child protection workforce and community-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) including in humanitarian situation.
UNICEF is supporting strengthening the health system for inclusive, resilient, equitable, and gender-responsiveness within the framework of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Unicef also supports improving Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) services for equitable access and utilisation.
The meeting agreed that Unicef would support the health department for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) for better immunisation services for full immunisation of all children.
It was also agreed to launch a strong nutrition-responsive system in the health department to ensure optimal nutrition for mothers and children, improved nutrition for adolescents and middle-aged children, functional multi-sectoral coordination for Early Childhood Development (ECD) and nutrition.
Unicef committed $300,000 for a responsive system for which the CM directed the health department to fulfil the requirements so that funds could be channelised.
The chief minister said that the eradication of Polio was his top priority. He added that his government with the support of UNICEF and other partners have controlled polio.
He said that the health department was working for better integration of EPI and expanded delivery of additional services to priority communities, as well as cultivating opportunities for increased community engagement. Supporting Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) with technical and human support for Polio eradication
The meeting was told that UNICEF was working with the school education department on certain initiatives such as the Robust Out-of-School Children Initiative with a focus on social mobilisation and institutional strengthening and scale-up of professional development of teachers.
The chief minister and the UNICEF Representative discussed the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program.
It may be noted that Unicef provides technical support to the provincial government on climate-resilient infrastructure through urban and rural water supply and sanitation structures along with community mobilisation for the sustainability of services. Moreover, it also provides technical support to the Government in improving monitoring, information management, climate resilience, and environmental degradation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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