Foundation of healthy society lies in maternal, child health: Dr Rizwana

KARACHI - On the theme of World Health Day, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Fu­tures”, a meeting of the Hamdard Shu­ra Karachi was held at the Hamdard corporate head office, presided over by Speaker Gen (r) Moinuddin Haider, in the presence of President of Ham­dard Foundation Pakistan, Ms. Sadia Rashid. Renowned gynecologist Dr Rizwana Ansari, while addressing the gathering as the chief guest, said that the foundation of a healthy society lies in maternal and child health.

Every child is a symbol of hope, and every newborn is a clear sign of God’s mercy and blessings. As a society, we are the custodians of this divine mercy. She said: “A glance at the national healthcare infrastructure reveals that, only one doctor is available for several thousand people.



Overall, the country’s medical infrastructure is in a fragile state. According to the World Health Organization, at least six percent of the GDP should be allocated to the health sector.” She also said: “It is reassuring that the health budget has been signifi­cantly increased in the province of Sindh.

The social trend of purchasing and us­ing medicines, of untrained physicians, which are promoted on social media must be strongly discouraged. Hundreds of babies are stillborn every day. Out of every thousand births, more than fifty infants die within the first month of life.

Due to environmental pollution, con­taminated water, and the adulteration of food items, many mothers and children are suffering from malnutrition.” SU presents Rs9.23 billion budget for 2024-25, faces Rs888 million deficit She further stated that, with a for­mal fatwa from Darul Uloom Kara­chi, the country’s first milk collection bank was established to ensure the supply of essential milk for malnour­ished children.

A complete record of the women donating milk was main­tained to ensure compliance with Islamic principles. However, due to misconceptions and propaganda, this milk center was shut down. Since then, many children suffering from malnutrition have lost their lives.

Dr. Rizwana said that “There are many widespread misconceptions among the public that must be addressed. Due to such attitudes, diseases like diphtheria and measles are re-emerg­ing.

Polio cases are also continuously increasing. A large portion of the country’s population resides in rural areas, where women have limited ac­cess to healthcare facilities. The Sindh government has taken some com­mendable steps, such as encouraging women to use hospital services for childbirth instead of relying on tradi­tional home birth methods.

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