PESHAWAR: On the directives of Director General Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Saleem Khan, a provincial consultation on the development of national guidelines for the prevention and treatment of anemia was held in Peshawar on Friday.
The event was organized with the support of Nutrition Cell DGHS KP, Nutrition Wing MoNHSR and C Islamabad and Nutrition International which aimed to finalize the draft guidelines for anemia prevention and treatment within existing health services and antenatal/postnatal care services in Pakistan.
The ceremony was chaired by Director Nutrition, DGHS, Dr. Fazal Majeed, and attended by various stakeholders from the Department of Health, including Director MCH/RH, Dr. Khizer Hayat, Program Director MNCH Tribal Districts, Dr. Anisa Afridi, and others.
The draft guidelines were presented by Dr. Maryam of Prime Consultants, and valuable inputs from participants were incorporated into the consultation activity.
The national guidelines for anemia prevention and treatment wil
l serve as guiding documents for all healthcare providers.
The guidelines cover key areas, including anemia levels as per WHO criteria, protocols for management of iron deficiency anemia, referral mechanisms, and multisector interventions for anemia prevention and treatment.
Representatives from Nutrition International, including Dr. Ather Ali Shaukat, National Program Coordinator, and others, also participated in the event. Other attendees included Dr. Muhammad Hussain, Dr. Bawer Shah from PPA, Dr. Amir Muhammad, HoD Peads LRH, SoGP President Dr. Gulrukh Qazi, HoD Gynae LRH and others.
The consultation was a crucial step towards finalizing the national guidelines for anemia prevention and treatment, and its outcome will have a significant impact on the healthcare sector in Pakistan.