Punjab University Institute of Social and Cultural Studies Director Prof Dr Rubina Zakar has said that Maternal and Child Week (MCW) programme supported by UNICEF has effectively provided maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) services to target populations, met community needs and raised health awareness by using Pakistan's existing network of outreach workers - albeit with regional variations.

She was speaking at a workshop on evaluations of programmes organised by ISCS for young researchers and scholars. The aim of the workshop was to engage young researchers in program evaluations. UNICEF's representative Dr Mussarrat Yousuf from New York on video link, faculty members and a large number of students participated in the workshop.

Addressing the workshop, she emphasized that young people could be agent of change in their communities if they are provided with skills and opportunities needed to reach their potential. She said that evaluation was integral to strengthen the quality of program and improve their outcomes and services for the beneficiaries.

She shared her experiences of conducting evaluation of MCW program supported by UNICEF. She said that the objective of this evaluation workshop was to identify lessons learnt and provide evidence for improved programme design, implementation and evidence-based decision-making on MNCH in Pakistan. She said that to explore the MCW program's relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, outcomes and sustainability, qualitative research methods were used, such as Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with different stakeholders, coupled with desk research.

Addressing the workshop, Dr Mussarrat Yousuf from UNICEF shared that the MCW initiative had the potential to increase maternal and child health coverage by enhancing community participation through community mobilization.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019