COMMUNITY MEDICINE DEPARTMENT
The Dissemination/Launch of the National Newborn Survival Strategy & Costed Action Plans was held on August 10, 2023, at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. Head of Department of Community Medicine, Brig (R) Prof Dr Naila Azam was invited by the Ministry of National Health Services Research and Coordination (NHSR&C), Pakistan, and represented by Faculty Members, Dr Shaista Zulfiqar and Dr Asmara Malik. The event aimed to present and disseminate the newly formulated National Newborn Survival Strategy and its associated Costed Action Plans to a diverse audience of healthcare professionals, policymakers, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
The event commenced with an opening ceremony that included welcoming remarks from Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, Director General Health Ministry of NHSR&C, Govt. of Pakistan.
Dr Samia Rizwan, Health Specialist UNICEF gave an insightful presentation on Situation of Maternal and Newborn Health in Pakistan, with alarming statistics shared, shedding light on the dire situation in Pakistan presently. Dr Gagan Gupta, Sen. Advisor Health, Maternal Newborn Health (UNICEF NYHQ), spoke about a very pressing problem in Pakistan of underage, uneducated little girls being forced into marriages and having children that die from entirely preventable causes due to which Pakistan’s Demographic Dividend is ending and becoming a Demographic Trap instead.
The event's discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions demonstrated a shared commitment to implementing evidence-based interventions and fostering multi-sectoral collaboration. Such event's outcomes can serve as a foundation for a coordinated and comprehensive effort between our institution and collaborators to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality rates in the country.
