KHANEWAL: Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Abbas Sherazi Monday led a walk to open the Aug 23-28 Global breastfeeding week here, an exercise launched to decrease the high mortality rate among the infants.
Earlier, presiding over a meeting, Sherazi said it was high time for health department officials and field staff to put energies in the week long advocacy exercise to persuade women to breastfeed their new-borns till the age of two years. This can considerably reduce the mortality rate among the new-borns that now stood at 82300 per annum. And can also save 20000 mothers from potential threat of breast cancer, the DC added.
The officials informed the DC that according to an assessment some 7.6 million new-borns do not get breastfeeding that is free compared to additional higher cost on formula milk brands and carry innumerable benefits like increase in immunity and high quality nutrition.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) District Health Authority (DHA) Dr. Abdul Majeed, district coordinator IRMNCH programme Dr Shahzad Sarwar, other officials besides lady health supervisors joined the walk.
The meeting DC chaired also discussed arrangements for five-day anti-polio campaign scheduled from Sep 20 with additional deputy commissioners Waqar Ahmad Khan and Akhtar Mundhaira, assistant commissioners, and other health officials in attendance.