Islamabad, 24 August 2022 (TDI): President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi met UN World Food Programme’s (UNWFP) Special Advisor on Mother and Child Nutrition, Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی سے اقوام متحدہ کے ورلڈ فوڈ پروگرام کی خصوصی مشیر، اردن کی شہزادی سارا زید کی ملاقات
صحت کے شعبے میں ذہنی و جسمانی نشوونما اور غذائیت کی کمی، زچہ بچہ کی صحت کی دیکھ بھال، اور عوام کے لیے صحت کی سہولیات کا فقدان جیسے مسائل کا حل ضروری ہے، صدر مملکت pic.twitter.com/nN8nuGR5lu
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 24, 2022
The President highlighted the need for addressing various issues in the health sector, including stunting and malnutrition in children, mother and child health care, and lack of health facilities for the masses, especially in the rural areas of the country.
Further, he mentioned that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) were collaborating to launch the country’s largest national flagship stunting prevention program named the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP).
BNP would initially provide support to 1.5 million pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children who were registered with BISP as the vulnerable segment of the population, the President said.
Further, the President appreciated the role of all international organizations such as UNWFP, UNICEF, and WHO for their effective and sustained professional support initiatives in the health sector.
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The President also addressed the issue of population growth during the meeting. He said that effective coordination at the government level and with private, and international organizations were needed to implement a time-bound national action program for a substantial reduction in population growth.
Moreover, the President emphasized that empowerment, education, and training of the women were essential for women’s health and for raising healthy families and controlling the population.
Call for Women Empowerment
The President also called upon the business leaders, eminent women, politicians, and members of the civil society to play their role in economically and financially empowering women.
He highlighted that Islam had given the right of inheritance to women and empowered them financially but unfortunately in Pakistan, women were being deprived of their rights in favor of their male family members.
The President further mentioned that the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act had empowered women to claim their share in the inherited property which would help in their economic and financial empowerment.
