Peshawar   -  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC) and the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) signed a landmark cooperation agreement on Friday aimed at protecting children from violence and abuse in the province.

This partnership focuses on enhancing the welfare and protection of children through improved collaboration, capacity building, and research initiatives alongside pediatricians and healthcare facilities. The agreement, supported by UNICEF, marks a significant milestone in establishing integrated referral pathways for effective case management of child protection cases, including child abuse and abandoned children identified through pediatric care.

Under this collaboration, both parties will set up Hospital Child Protection Committees (HCPCs) in selected hospitals to ensure efficient management of such cases by linking hospital structures with Child Protection Units (CPUs) throughout the province.

Key features of the agreement include an emphasis on media engagement, responsible reporting, and raising public awareness about child protection issues. Capacity-building workshops for healthcare professionals, child protection staff, and journalists will also be jointly organized.

Additionally, the initiative aims to foster joint research efforts to inform evidence-based policy advocacy focused on safeguarding vulnerable children. Dr. Tufail Muhammad, Chairman of PPA, and Ijaz Muhammad Khan, Chief Protection Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, signed the agreement in the presence of Sohail Ahmad, Child Protection Specialist at the UNICEF Peshawar Office.

UNICEF will provide crucial support for the technical oversight of this collaboration, ensuring its alignment with broader child protection frameworks and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This partnership underscores the commitment of KPCPWC and PPA to create a safer environment for children and enhance the provincial child protection system through integration with health professionals and services, community outreach, media engagement, and strategic collaborations.