World Food Programme Donates Equipment Worth 16.2 Million Rupees To Balochistan Health Department
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has handed over medical equipment worth over 16.2 million rupees to the health department of the Government of Balochistan.
Dr. Masood Qadir Nosherwani, Director General Health Services, Balochistan received the equipment from Jean-Luc Siblot, WFP Representative Pakistan. Farooq Azam Jan, Director Health Services, Ayad Naman, WFP Pakistan Head of Logistics, Sami Baig, Chief Provincial Officer, WFP Quetta and Yasir Haleem, Head of Logistics, Quetta were also present.
“The food security situation and malnutrition among children and women in particular is critical in Pakistan,” said Siblot. “During 2013, we are investing in nutrition to help tackle this problem. As part of its commitment to strengthen the capacity of government, WFP has been supporting national institutions by supplying non-food items as well as assisting people who are food insecure.”
WFP has also trained over 1,400 health department staff and staff of NGO partners in managing supplementary feeding under the ongoing CMAM (community based management of acute malnutrition) intervention and in commodity management.
The current donation includes blood pressure apparatus, delivery tables, oxygen cylinders, infant scales, and furniture for patients and staff. The equipment will be used at basic health facilities in Balochistan where WFP implements its nutrition program. The donation also includes vehicles, laptop computers, scanners and printers for health department staff.
WFP’s nutrition activities are carried out in partnership with the Health Department of Balochistan, UNICEF and other NGOs under the recovery phase of the 2010 and 2012 floods.
WFP provides specialized nutritious food to treat moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) among children of 6 to 59 months of age. The agency also provides food to siblings of registered severely acute malnourished (SAM) and moderately acute malnourished (MAM) children and malnourished pregnant women and new mothers in 12 districts of Balochistan.
During 2012, WFP distributed more than 1,400 metric tons of specialized nutrition products in Balochistan, assisting more than 130,000 moderately malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
In 2013, WFP’s nutrition program will cover 500 supplementary feeding sites in nine districts of Balochistan.
Source: World Food Programme
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Category: Asia
