ISLAMABAD: State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar on Wednesday said that there were around 94,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
However, she said during question-hour in the Senate, that there were 15,370 people registered in 21 HIV treatment centres, across the country. She also said that those patients were being provided medicines and medical treatment free of cost, and more patients were being registered as a result of effective services in getting free of cost testing and treatment services.
Similarly, she added that the maternal mortality rate in Pakistan was 276 out of 100,000 live births. She said that the government was working to control maternal mortality rate and action plan on reproductive, maternal, and neonatal and child health (RMNCH+A) was being prepared to consolidate and accelerate the progress to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets to bring mortality rates down by the end of 2016.
The minister said that the resuscitation and basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmoNC) facilities were being provided at basic health units that have brought down maternal mortality rates.
She said that the deliveries were now being conducted by skilled community midwives in all the healthcare facilities and health houses that had significantly reduced the mortality at birth, for both mother and child.
Through RMNCH+A Trust fund, the ministry – in collaboration with provinces, partner agencies and regions – was training community midwives and other medical personnel in order to strengthen human resource and service delivery, she added.
Saira said that national maternal, newborn and child health programme was ongoing in the provinces after devolution focusing on maternal, newborn and child health in the country.
This programme had decreased both Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Measles mumps and Rubella (MMR) throughout the country by providing better EmoNC services at basic health units. She said that national programme for family planning and primary health care through its network of 96,000 community based Lady Health Workers (LHW) had a substantial impact on the uptake of important primary health services which included a large and positive impact on childhood vaccination rates, and lower rates of childhood diarrhea & pneumonia.
The government had also adopted a life-cycle approach and recognised the importance of optimal nutrition for women in order to minimise the risks associated with malnutrition. Securing good nutritional status of women across the life course in the long–term would reduce intrauterine growth restriction, child underweight and stunting, she added.
