The troubled security situation in North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) resulted in large scale displacement of local community to the neighboring Districts of Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Karak. Out of these districts Bannu is hosting the highest number of IDP’s. The difficult terrain, spread out communities, weak infrastructure, poor socio-economic indicators and repeated natural disasters further deteriorated the situation.
This heavy displacement laid extra burden on the already scarcely resourced health system of the district Bannu. About 32% of these IDPs were women while 42% were children, who faced a high risk of poor nutrition, loss of livelihood and outbreaks of communicable diseases.
To support the overburdened health services and IPDs situation in district Bannu, Prime Foundation in collaboration with UNICEF and Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has initiated a mother and child health care program called “Mother Child Days” (MCDs). The project will provide Maternal Child Health services to the IDPs at their door steps.
The goal of the project is reduction of mortality among mothers and children under five years of age, by ensuring access to basic health, nutrition and hygiene information, and services that meet national recommended minimum standard of care for population affected by emergency and poverty.
Project Activities
- To improve health and nutritional status of women and children in selected union councils of district Bannu by ensuring immediate access to life saving package.
- To de-worm children of age 2-5 years in the target union councils.
- To provide routine immunization to all children of 2 year of age and pregnant women in target union councils.
- To provide multi-micronutrients sachets and tablets to children (6-9 months) and pregnant/lactating women (PLW).
- To deliver health, nutrition and hygiene behavior change communication messages for improving health and nutritional status of internally displaced mothers and children.
- To provide health, nutrition and hygiene commodities to registered and pregnant women.
In order to educate the public about common health and hygiene practices, a number of advocacy meetings have been arranged. In these meetings, the project staff provide details about EPI vaccination, registration of pregnant women, antenatal checkup and other project activities.
