Islamabad, August 17, 2021 (PPI-OT): Headed by Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, Chairperson Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, a six-member Delegation from the National Assembly of Pakistan including Honourable MNA Romina Khurshid Alam and Honourable MNA Sahibzada Sibghatullah , Parliamentary Secretary are participating in the conference on population development , SDG5 , women and children’s health and reproductive rights during COVID19 in Kampala, Uganda.
More than 20 countries are participating in the conference. Pakistan’ delegation is the largest amongst those attending in person and has been sponsored by APDA. The conference provides Pakistan an opportunity to show case its parliamentary efforts being made in population development. National Assembly of Islamic Republic of Pakistan supports a strong parliamentary role in achieving ICPD-25 goals
The Honourable Speaker National Assembly, Mr. Asad Qaisar is pushing for stronger relations and strengthening the hands of APDA in achieving their goals. Pakistan has made substantial progress on ICPD25 commitments. Pakistan has started a landmark health care initiative, “Sehat Sahulat Programme” with an objective to lead a path towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.
Pakistan became the first country in the world to include Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) in its compulsory Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI). The EPI is now providing immunization to children against eight (08) Vaccine-Preventable Diseases i.e., childhood tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, neonatal tetanus, measles, hepatitis B and typhoid.
For maternity coverage Government of Pakistan grants 3 month’s maternity leave and requires the employers to provide nursery services on-site for women with young children. To ensure reproductive health government will target 2 million Pregnant and Lactating women and 2 million children in the first 1000 days.
Women will be provided extra funds on the consumption of specialized nutrition. This program is estimated at 139 Billion Rupees over the 5 years. Under Pakistan’s Lady Health Worker’s Program, Lady Doctors and Nurses visit far flung areas to provide health services at home.
To encourage girls to remain in school, Constitution gives the right to free education and government pays monthly stipend to the children along with monthly funds for family support. This 81 Billion Rupees project will achieve enrollment of 9 million children by 2023.
Most women and girls leave school or work after marriage because of added responsibilities of the new home. To provide social protection needs of women who migrate or return to their country of origin after having worked abroad government of Pakistan has launched overseas Portal, where returning overseas can directly contact Prime Minister Secretariat for support.
To ensure protection of the women on legal grounds, government is revolutionizing the justice system to protect inheritance rights of women and criminal justice, government in establishing Gender Based Violence Courts at district levels. All of this has happened with the support of women parliamentarians.
For more information, contact:
Secretary,
National Assembly of Pakistan
Automation Centre, National Assembly Secretariat,
Parliament House, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9221082-83
Fax: +92-51-9221106
Email: assembly@na.gov.pk
Website: www.na.gov.pk