Azra Pechuho holds meeting with representatives of BMGF

KARACHI: Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister for Health and Population Welfare, Sindh, held a meeting with representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Senior Country Advisor on Family Planning and Maternal and Newborn Child Health. 

Dr Yasmeen Qazi, Qasim Soomro, Zulfiqar Shah, and Dr Talib Lashari were also present.

Azra Fazal Pechuho stated that BMGF might assist Sindh with communication strategy and infection control.

Minister said there had been effective relationships with the commercial sector and willing distributors of Sayana Press, injectable contraception. These goods are offered to the private sector at no cost; they should be distributed to the public for free or, at most, for a small service fee.

Azra Pechuho determined that all parties, subcommittees, and partners should maintain constant contact so that services and areas do not overlap. The collected data should be provided to the working group so that it may be used for further Family Planning and MNCH development.

The Minister also informed the gathering that the Reproductive Health Bill had been updated to incorporate self-care, a communication plan for the community and service providers and a registry to document the outcomes and causes of maternal mortality. Many delivery women arrive at the clinics as a last resort and after problems have occurred during home births, which is the primary cause of the referral delays.

Azra Pechuho stated that birthing stations are being made available at dispensaries throughout the entire province of Sindh. It is planned to have 393 of these dispensaries in underserved areas of the province so that women can conveniently access safe and comprehensive birthing and delivery facilities. Currently, 93 of these clinics operate effectively in 5 districts: Tharparkar, Sujawal, Thatta, Jamshoro, and Qambar Shahdadkot, as part of a pilot program. These dispensaries will have a CMW on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who will live nearby, so she is always accessible. 

In addition to providing feeding and immunization facilities, they will give comprehensive MNCH services. Even if there is an unmet need for contraceptives, service providers must be approachable for women to utilize family planning services voluntarily. 

Azra Pechuho stated that male family members must also be counselled so that the decision to seek family planning is well-informed and communal and so that the community as a whole demonstrates a sustainable behavioural change.

The Minister also said that, in urban healthcare, the required services are located in periurban regions since this enables more people to receive healthcare. She praised BMGF for their assistance in supplying HR personnel via PPHI. The discussion also covered the Child Marriage Restraint Act, as child marriage is one of the causes of maternal fatalities in the province. 

Azra Pechuho also emphasized the need for preventative healthcare, which involves educating teenage girls about their reproductive rights, health, nutrition, cleanliness, and contraception so they may make educated decisions in the future. Currently, there are 17,000 provider-based and voluntary sayana press administered. At the conference, it was determined that training must be broadened to include more female healthcare professionals who can reach more women.

However, the Sindh Health Department, Population Welfare Department, and other partners are trying to recover from this setback.