QUETTA:Balcohistan Secretary Health Abdullah Khan said that it was the first effort of Balochistan Health Department to provide its medical staff with all kinds of skills in the field of health and IMNCI training for the first time in Balochistan would improve the treatment of children.
He expressed these views while addressing a two-day training on Early Childhood Development, Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) as chief guest.
The training was started with contribution of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Program, Health Department and United Nation International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Provincial Head of UNICEF Dr. Amiri, Provincial Coordinator MNCH Dr. Gul Sabin Azim Ghorizi, Pediatrician Dr. Ismail, UNICEF Dr. Saba, Finance Officer MNCH Kamil Ahmed Qumbrani, Section Officer Tahoor Khan, Nutrition Officer UNICEF Imran Jatoi, IT In-charge Sikandar Zeb, Staff Officer Shaukat Zehri, others assistants, 20 doctors from 4 districts of Balochistan participated i
n the training.
Provincial Coordinator MNCH Dr. Gul Sabin Azim Ghorizi (IMNCI) explained the aims and objectives of the training.
Secretary Health Balochistan Abdullah Khan said that the training would promote early childhood development which would reduce infant mortality, disease and disability and improve healthy development of children in five years of age.
Nationally, more than 80 percent of deaths among young children are due to neonatal conditions and infectious diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles and meningitis, he said.
He said that the IMNCI strategy aims to improve the skills of health workers and health systems to prevent common childhood diseases, including in the neonatal period, and support healthy child development.
Pediatrician Dr. Saima said that the baby should be breastfed immediately after birth due to mother’s milk, the newborn child is protected from many diseases.
UNICEF’s Dr. Saba told the training participants that the IMNCI’s strategy promotes accurate ident
ification of childhood illnesses in outpatient settings and ensures appropriate combined treatment of all major conditions affecting the young child and strengthens caregiver counseling, and speeds recovery in critically ill neonates and children.