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Chakwal, Thursday 4 April 2024: Celebrating World Health Day Seminar organized by PODA with the collaboration of University of Chakwal, the participants unanimously passed a resolution demanding the government to make health for all a constitutional right.
Presenting the resolution to around 200 participants including students, faculty members and senior district administration officers of various university departments, lawyers, social activists and community leaders and media persons, Chief Executive Officer, PODA, Sameena Nazir urged the government that for granting right to health, there is a dire need to introduce a constitutional amendment.
Terming health as a fundamental human right, Sameena Nazir explained that most countries in the world have made the Right to Health for its citizen a Constitutional Right, however unlike 115 countries of the world, the Constitution of Pakistan does not explicitly recognize the right to health, for which we need to raise the demand with one voice.
In 1948, countries of the world came together and founded World Health Organization (WHO) to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being. The First World Health Assembly decided to celebrate World Health Day on April 7 of each year, with effect from 1950.
PODA in collaboration with the University of Chakwal jointly celebrated World Health Day here in the university auditorium titled “Promoting and Protecting Women and Girls’ Health, Challenges and a Way Forward” organized under the project “Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality” funded the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad.
Highlighting the importance of healthy diet for attaining proper nutrition, Dr. Muhammad Bilal Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Chakwal said we need to promote local products. For example Chakwal is known for peanuts and we can make peanut butter. He appreciated PODA’s efforts to arrange the seminar and paid tribute to CEO-PODA for her efforts to empower women and girls with awareness on such vital issues concerning to their health and well-being which could change their lives positively for their development and progress.
Appreciating PODA and the management of University of Chakwal, Assistant Commissioner, Ms. Sameena Bashir said “healthy women guarantee healthy society”. CEO Education Department of Chakwal, Abdul Waheed said unlikely other countries we don’t pay much attention to the subject of health in curriculum. He said we need to ensure holistic education to our future generations including elements of physical, mental and emotional health for their development in text books. “We need to address subjects related to health at school level as new it has become reality after COVID,” he added.
Highlighted frightening impacts of early marriage on the health of girl children, Syeda Kiran Hasnain, Medical Officer revealed that to treat cervical cancer due to more than 70 million girls aged 15 and above are at risk, we don’t have Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine which can save lives of hundreds of girls in Pakistan. “People and communities lack knowledge and awareness about such issues due to which their lives are in danger,” she added.
Dr Faiza Akhter, UOC said that malnourished female can manage their lifestyle adaption in diet
through portion control by adding five major group of food such as carbohydrates (roti, rice, pasta, noodles), protein fat (meat, lentils) fat (healthy fat, olive oil, coco oil), folic acid and zinc supplement. “By changing lifestyle modification diet plan and healthy exercises females can manage malnutrition issues,” she added
Sahibzada Farrukh Zulfi, Admin & Accounts, Community Development Department informed the audience that the government is working to ensure tabs to nikaha registrars to stop early-age marriages to protect girls from this social menace. Ms. Naveeda Akhtar, School Health Nutrition Supervisor (NHNS District Health Department of Chakwal) stressed on the need to develop healthy habits for stronger bodies. Other prominent speakers were Dr. Ghazala Fazal, Deputy Technical Officer Population Welfare Department, Waseem Abbas, Deputy Director Social Welfare Office, Syeda Samia Batool, Sub-inspector (police) and Naheeda Abbasi from PODA.
Nabeela Aslam, PODA shared an overview of PODA’s project, “Reducing Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality”, supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan. “Early marriages are violation of a girl child’s basic rights to lead violence and abuse free life. This leads to physical, mental and emotional forms of violence which can be prevented by amending the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015 – Punjab to raise minimum age of marriage of a girl from 16 to 18 years of age,” she added.
CEO, PODA, Sameena Nazir and VC, University of Chakwal awarded the dignitaries with shields of honor in recognition of their efforts to empower women and girls.
