KARACHI: In the backdrop of a famine-like situation in Thar, the Sindh government is set to launch its Nutrition Support Programme Sindh (NPS) to initially target nine of the 24 districts which are facing acute malnutrition in children, mothers and would-be mothers, it emerged on Wednesday.

Provincial health secretary Iqbal Durrani said this in his first briefing to the media. However, officials said the NSP was envisaged for the last year, but it remained dormant in the cabinets of the people at the helm until the uproar over the situation in Thar put pressure on them for its launch.

Officials said the three-year programme’s PC-1 had been finalised, which focused primarily on improving the nutritional status of children under five years and pregnant or lactating women.

The PC-1 will be executed by the provincial health department with financial support of the World Bank and the annual development programme allocation of the Sindh government.

The provincial nutrition support programme and the health department will be responsible for the operationalisation of the PC-1 while the Sindh Nutrition Cell will act as the programme implementation unit and provide oversight and leadership for effective implementation of the programme at the provincial and district levels.

The nutrition cell of the project will be responsible for ensuring regular programme monitoring, annual assessments, mild and end term evaluations of the interventions. The NSP framework has been developed with reference to medium-term development framework and millennium development goals 1, 4 and 5.

Officials said the project would be implemented by the provincial health department at the provincial level and through the district health office at the district level, especially the service delivery part primarily through the lady health workers of the National Programme for Family Planning and primary healthcare services of the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative.

Officials said the focus of the NPS was to address malnutrition in children aged between six and 59 months and pregnant or lactating women through various services involving the communities in the rural areas.

It will also address micronutrient deficiency through the provision of micronutrient powders, iron folic acid tablets to pregnant women, vitamin A supplementation and supply of zinc and ORS.

Besides, focus will be put on micronutrient deficiency through vitamin A campaigns. Health workers will be trained to address de-worming of male and female children with the focus on poor and disadvantaged with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Officials said the programme would also advocate enacting of law for the fortification of foods, including salt and wheat flour, advocacy with private salt processors for the expansion of salt iodisation programme and with policymakers and private industry for the expansion of the wheat flour fortification programme with capacity building for monitoring and demand creation, system of sustainable supply of iodine etc.