ISLAMABAD – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protectionand Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Sania Nishtar on Sunday disclosed that sixNashonuma Centres are being opened in Kalat and Zhob districts ofBalochistan in the first phase of Ehsaas Nashonuma programme under theumbrella initiative of Ehsaas.
The flagship initiative of the government was aimed to tackle stunting andimprove the nutrition of the poorest children through a combination of cashstipends, nutritional food, medical examination and training”, Dr. Nishtarwho heads Ehsaas programme said.
National Nutrition Survey 2018 found that 46.6 percent of children inBalochistan are currently impacted by stunting due to malnutrition, withsignificant consequences for their health and educational outcomes.
Ehsaas has rolled out Ehsaas Nashonuma programme to ensure that this formof malnutrition does not continue to compromise the human capital requiredto sustain the socioeconomic development.
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Across Pakistan, 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres in 13 districts are beingopened at the district and Tehsil level health facilities in the firstphase of the programme.
However, catering to the scattered population and wide geographical spreadout of Balochistan, the Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres are being opened at thebasic health unit level to ensure easy access to the facility.
Ehsaas Nashonuma centers in Balochistan are opening in collaboration withprovincial government and the World Food Programme. To provide all EhsaasNashonuma facilities under one roof, four centres have been established inKalat at DHQ Kalat, DHQ Surab, BHU Iskalkoo and BHU Lakorian. In Zhobdistrict, two centres will be operational next month.The programme will be expanded to other districts in the next phase.
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Ehsaas Nashonuma is a three-year programme that is fully funded by thegovernment of Pakistan.
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The programme is pegged on improving nutrition and health in the firstthousand days of life, that is the most critical period in early childhooddevelopment, starting at conception and finishing at age of two.
Every quarter, conditional cash-transfers are being provided to the poorestpregnant and lactating women and those with children under two years old;Rs.1500 for a boy child and mother, and Rs. 2000 for a girl child.
As stated by Ehsaas policy, beneficiaries will be identified through theEhsaas ecosystem and programme enrolments will be made through an androidbased Ehsaas Nashonuma application.
The android application not just enables the electronic registrations butalso tracks beneficiary women and children. Nashonuma stipends aredisbursed to mothers through biometrically enabled Ehsaas payment system.Payments are conditional upon the consumption of specialized nutritiousfood, immunizations, and attendance in health awareness sessions.
