Through history, Pakistan has continued to grapple with a pressing public health crisis: maternal mortality. Around 8,300 women per year lose their lives to complications linked to pregnancy and childbirth, which is an alarming number.
The common causes of maternal deaths are post-partum haemorrhage, hypertensive diseases and sepsis. Nutritional deficiencies are also common amongst pregnant women. Similarly, service delivery requires improvement with the development of facility level health care workers and Lady Health Workers in the communities. Poor maternal health has resulted in high newborn deaths and still births.
To address this need, leading consumer healthcare company Haleon Pakistan has joined hands with UNICEF Pakistan to launch the “Mothers Matter” project – a two-year partnership aimed at promoting maternal health in marginalized areas and communities across the country. The project focuses on building capacity of health care providers and providing trainings to Lady Health Workers in their communities. This will build the competencies of the healthcare providers and healthcare system, as well as educate pregnant women on their maternal wellbeing. At the national level and through a multi-faceted approach, Haleon Pakistan and UNICEF’s “Mothers Matter” partnership will focus on promoting social and behavioural change, engaging prominent experts, policy makers and health managers to raise awareness on maternal and neonatal health, leveraging broadcast and digital platforms.
By addressing the root causes of maternal mortality and putting maternal health first, Haleon Pakistan and UNICEF are poised to make a lasting difference in the lives of women and children across Pakistan.
