LAHORE - Governor Rafiq Rajwana inaugurated Punjab-UNICEF project for reduction in child mortality due to pneumonia and diarrhea at a local hotel yesterday.

The Project “Management of Childhood Pneumonia & Diarrhea on Revised Global Guidelines” envisages reduction in child mortality due to two major killers, Pneumonia and Diarrhea. The incidence of pneumonia and diarrhea is reported to be highest in the post neonatal age group. The low cost, evidence-based interventions will be used to reduce the incidence among the most vulnerable age group.

Adviser to CM on Health Kh Salman Rafq, Parliamentary Secretary Kh Imran Nazir, Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan, DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed, Provincial Coordinator UNICEF Dr Mushtaq Rana and representatives of WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Program Managers participated in the launching ceremony.

The governor said, “I express my gratitude for Unicef for support to safeguard our children and to Bill & Malinda Gates Foundation for service to humanity. Launching of this historic project in collaboration will contribute to the efforts of the government to increases child survival in the Punjab.”

Salman emphasised that child mortality was a comprehensive indicator that reflected the overall status of a country’s healthcare system. “We lose approximately 63000 children to pneumonia and diarrhea annually in Punjab. Every year over 5 million children are reported with pneumonia, and 30 million are reported with diarrhea. These can be reduced significantly through a holistic approach addressing both the preventive and curative sides,” he added.

A Provincial Technical Working for Child Survival was formed that finalised the details of different interventions of this new project.

The TWG for child survival provides technical guidance for its implementation.

Ali Jan Khan said the preventive health care in Punjab has assumed a more assertive dimension and aggressive focus. “In this context, addressing the under 5 year’s age mortality and morbidity is the prime concern of our efforts that is steered by a Provincial Technical Working group for Child Survival.”

Dr Mushtaq Rana said this new project will contribute a lot to the efforts of the Punjab Government to minimize child mortality due to pneumonia and diarrhea, the two leading killers of children.

Dr Kennedy Chief Health UNICEF said the child mortality can be reduced by implementing the recommendations of Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea (GAPPD) and by reducing the equity gap.