Daily Times

The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has launched the first phase of its trans formative consultation conference series, titled ‘The Next Horizon’, aiming to create a comprehensive National Agenda for Women and Girls in Pakistan. The series began with a conference on health ‘Inclusive Healthcare for Women: Paving the Way Forward’, organized in collaboration with United Nation Population (UNFPA) and Pathfinder. Chairperson of NCSW, Nilofar Bakhtiar, opened the session by highlighting the urgent need to address the pressing health issues, facing women in Pakistan. Speaking at the conference Federal Minister for Planning ,Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal reiterated the government’s dedication to advancing women’s health. He stated, “Our commitment lies in implementing strong policies and investing in healthcare infrastructure to guarantee that every woman in Pakistan has access to quality healthcare.”On this occasion, Special Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Waqar Ul Hassan and Lt. General (Rtd) Nigar Johar, also addressed the participants. Moreover, renowned actress and activist, Nadia Jamil shared her inspiring personal journey through breast cancer. The conference featured thematic working group sessions that delved into various aspects of women’s health. The sessions included discussions on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), nutritional disparities, common communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and emotional and mental health. The recommendations include: Advocate for increasing the health budget allocation to at least 10 percent of the development budget and 5 percent of GDP, non-politicized recruitment for healthcare professionals, access to mental health services at secondary and tertiary levels, inter-provincial health programs that can be monitored, improved and replicated, Enhancing coordination between women’s health departments and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority to accommodate internally displaced expecting mothers to be given proper and urgent care, prioritize and invest in digital health solutions to enhance women’s healthcare services across far flung areas, social protection, safety and security and life and health insurance schemes for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare professionals, incentivized programs for healthcare professionals to serve in the marginalized communities across Pakistan and special nutritional programs for mother and child across all provinces.