Health, education facilities
Health, education facilities
UNICEF pushes Pakistan for better allocations* Deputy executive director says Islamabad should approach international donors for assistance
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson on Thursday pressed the Pakistani government for enhancing health and education budgets in the next fiscal year and approaching international donors to seek assistance for upgrading health and education facilities.Talking to Daily Times, Johnson said Pakistani women and children were vulnerable to poverty, insecurity and natural disasters.She said 2007 had reported death of 400,000 children under five and the numbers were likely to swell this year.She said the UNICEF would try to secure more funds from donor countries for ongoing and future health and education projects in Pakistan.She, however, pushed Islamabad for arranging more funds from donor agencies.The UNICEF deputy executive director said Pakistani officials had assured her of the government’s strong commitment to improving education and health services.She said it’s unfortunate that funds’ shortage had adversely impacted on the quake relief operations in Balochistan. She said the UNICEF hadn’t received all the funds promised by donors.Johnson complained lawlessness had hampered the UNICEF operations in the NWFP and FATA. She said poor or no immunisation of children, especially those living in the troubled regions, had led to high incidence of polio in the country. She said it’s sad Pakistan reported 103 fresh polio cases in the first 10 months of 2008 compared with 32 of 2007. The top UNICEF official said the Fund would continue operations in Pakistan’s high-risk security areas including Peshawar with the help of local staff and partners.Johnson also spoke to a news conference at the UN offices in the day. She said delicate security situation had displaced over 200,000 locals from Bajaur Agency and thousands more from Swat since August. He said about two thirds of the displaced persons, mostly living in camps, were children.She regretted killing of civilians, especially children, in fight between security forces and militants and urged quarters concerned to do the needful for preventing such fatalities.She said 94 in every 1,000 infants died before reaching the age of five, and over half of them would not even survive for a single month due to complications at birth and diarrhea, pneumonia, nutritional deficiencies and preventable diseases.She said exclusive breastfeeding, which provided safe, inexpensive nutrition to infants, could reduce high mortality by 13 percent alone. The UNICEF deputy executive director said by addressing water, sanitation and hygiene issues, deaths by diarrhea could be significantly reduced and many children’s lives be saved.She regretted only eight percent of Pakistani parents washed hands with soap after using toilet. She said 36 mothers died in birth a day, more than one death every hour, which could be prevented by checkups during pregnancy and got advice on nutrition and the importance of skilled care for a safe delivery.She also pointed out only 39 per cent deliveries took place in the presence of a skilled birth attendant, adding 61 per cent women receive at least one medical check-up during pregnancy.Johnson said financial crisis had affected the average Pakistani family whose expenditure on basic necessities had increased by 25 percent in the past 12 months. He said under current hard times, poor families and vulnerable people, also children, especially girls, suffered
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\11\28\story_28-11-2008_pg11_3
UNICEF pushes Pakistan for better allocations* Deputy executive director says Islamabad should approach international donors for assistance
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson on Thursday pressed the Pakistani government for enhancing health and education budgets in the next fiscal year and approaching international donors to seek assistance for upgrading health and education facilities.Talking to Daily Times, Johnson said Pakistani women and children were vulnerable to poverty, insecurity and natural disasters.She said 2007 had reported death of 400,000 children under five and the numbers were likely to swell this year.She said the UNICEF would try to secure more funds from donor countries for ongoing and future health and education projects in Pakistan.She, however, pushed Islamabad for arranging more funds from donor agencies.The UNICEF deputy executive director said Pakistani officials had assured her of the government’s strong commitment to improving education and health services.She said it’s unfortunate that funds’ shortage had adversely impacted on the quake relief operations in Balochistan. She said the UNICEF hadn’t received all the funds promised by donors.Johnson complained lawlessness had hampered the UNICEF operations in the NWFP and FATA. She said poor or no immunisation of children, especially those living in the troubled regions, had led to high incidence of polio in the country. She said it’s sad Pakistan reported 103 fresh polio cases in the first 10 months of 2008 compared with 32 of 2007. The top UNICEF official said the Fund would continue operations in Pakistan’s high-risk security areas including Peshawar with the help of local staff and partners.Johnson also spoke to a news conference at the UN offices in the day. She said delicate security situation had displaced over 200,000 locals from Bajaur Agency and thousands more from Swat since August. He said about two thirds of the displaced persons, mostly living in camps, were children.She regretted killing of civilians, especially children, in fight between security forces and militants and urged quarters concerned to do the needful for preventing such fatalities.She said 94 in every 1,000 infants died before reaching the age of five, and over half of them would not even survive for a single month due to complications at birth and diarrhea, pneumonia, nutritional deficiencies and preventable diseases.She said exclusive breastfeeding, which provided safe, inexpensive nutrition to infants, could reduce high mortality by 13 percent alone. The UNICEF deputy executive director said by addressing water, sanitation and hygiene issues, deaths by diarrhea could be significantly reduced and many children’s lives be saved.She regretted only eight percent of Pakistani parents washed hands with soap after using toilet. She said 36 mothers died in birth a day, more than one death every hour, which could be prevented by checkups during pregnancy and got advice on nutrition and the importance of skilled care for a safe delivery.She also pointed out only 39 per cent deliveries took place in the presence of a skilled birth attendant, adding 61 per cent women receive at least one medical check-up during pregnancy.Johnson said financial crisis had affected the average Pakistani family whose expenditure on basic necessities had increased by 25 percent in the past 12 months. He said under current hard times, poor families and vulnerable people, also children, especially girls, suffered
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\11\28\story_28-11-2008_pg11_3
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