Govt to Ensure Children’s Health in 45 Districts Under Pakistan Deworming Initiative

The government will ensure the sustainability of the Pakistan Deworming Initiative to improve the health and nutrition of school-age children in 45 at-risk districts through systematic strategic planning in collaboration with provinces and regional governments and Technical Assistance Partners.

These assurances were made during the inauguration of the National Learning and Strategic Planning Forum for the Pakistan Deworming Initiative held in Bhurban.

Parliamentary Secretary MoPD&SI, Kanwal Shauzab, inaugurated the National Learning and Strategic Planning Forum for Pakistan Deworming Initiative at Bhurban. The purpose of the two-days forum was to reflect and celebrate the achievement of the deworming of over 8.3 Million school-age children in Sindh, KP, ICT, and Punjab and discuss innovations based on lessons learned from the 2021 experience, and agree on strategies for effectively treating 17 million at-risk school-age children annually.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI) and Interactive Research & Development Pakistan, with collaboration from the Evidence Action and WHO.

Prominent members from health, education, and planning & development departments from the provinces, along with the representatives of WHO, WFP, Nutrition International, attended the forum.

Notable guests of honors, who attended the forum, included WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, Secretary health AJK, Major General Ahsan Altaf, Vice-Chancellor Health Services Academy, Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, and Chief Health MoPDSI, Dr. Muhammad Asif, along with stakeholders from all the regions of Pakistan from planning and development, health and education departments.

Kanwal Shauzab highlighted that the deworming program is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of eradication of stunting and malnutrition. She urged the team to collaborate with the MNCs to raise awareness and enhance the awareness of the masses on the importance of deworming. She also appreciated the efforts of the provincial and federal governments in leveraging government infrastructure to deworm school-age children and proposed the development of the sustainability framework of the Pakistan Deworming Initiative. She also emphasized the plan of action to deworm both school-going and out-of-school children alike.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala highlighted the concept of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), the global efforts to eradicate NTDs, and emphasized the need to support Pakistan Deworming Initiative through political commitment, investments, innovations, and partnerships.

Chief Health MoPD&SI, Dr.Muhammad Asif, delineated the timelines of the Deworming Plan of Action 2022 and highlighted the importance of the framework of the deworming initiative to attain sustainability. He additionally discussed the key documents around strategic planning 2022-2027.

Vice-Chancellor Health Services Academy, Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, offered his support and availability of the Health Services Academy for capacity building. He also added that there is a need for increased advocacy of the program to enhance awareness among the parents, for which print, digital, and social media should be used. He appreciated the efforts of the Interactive Research and Development in enhanced coverage and development of models across Pakistan and suggested having more forums like this to support the health of children of Pakistan.

The Program Director, Qadeer Baig, also highlighted the achievements, progress, and future goals of the Pakistan Deworming Initiative. He congratulated the stakeholders on successfully deworming over 10 million children between 2018-2021. He also thanked the media and the celebrities for their support and mentioned that the road map for the coming years would ensure sustainability, focus more on adapting a hybrid of school-based and community-based deworming approaches.

The participants of the forum concluded by signing a declaration for the acceleration andd enhancement of the Pakistan Deworming Initiative (2022-27) and appreciated the Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives for leading the program on the federal level.

Faiz Paracha is a seasoned broadcast journalist with over 15 years’ experience in reporting and e...



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