Tributes paid to female workers on frontline of public health

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The government and independent voices paid glorious tributes and praise the contribution of women workers in every sphere of life including public health here Wednesday at an event held in connection with International Women Day in a local hotel.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Imdadullah Bosal chaired the event organized by Provincial Emergency Operations Center in collaboration with its national office.

Secretary Health KP, Attaur Rehman, Additional Secretary Health (polio)/ Coordinator EOC, Asif Rahim, Deputy Coordinator EOC Zeeshan Khan, former parliamentarians Ms Samar Bilour, Miss. Rabia Basri, National Team Leader Polio Programme, Hamish Young, Provincial Team Leads WHO, UNICEF, national and provincial team leads N Stop, Technical Focal Person EOC, Provincial Ombudsperson, Rakhshanda Naz, Deputy Chief KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Muhammad Ejaz Khan, President Public Health Association KP Chapter, Dr. Saima Abid and female health workers from Community Based Vaccination (CBV) programme were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali thanked the organizers for arranging the event to commemorate International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to honoring the contributions of women to society and recognizing the progress made towards gender equality.

He said that it is a day to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of women throughout history and to renew our commitment to creating a more just and equitable society for all.

As Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, I am proud to say that our province is making significant strides towards ensuring safe and secure environment for all particularly women. “We have taken important steps to empower women and girls in all aspects of their lives. We have also made strides in improving women’s access to healthcare”, he said.

Moreover, he went on to add that in addition, we have taken steps to ensure that women have a voice in our political system and our government has reserved seats for women in local and provincial government.

He said that we have also worked to increase the participation of women in political parties and leadership positions that helped to ensure that women’s voices are heard and that their perspectives are considered during policy making.

As the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, I acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of female frontline workers who are tirelessly working for the socioeconomic uplift of the province.

We fully appreciate the fact that women face unique challenges on daily basis while at work and the Government is fully committed to give an atmosphere of convenience to working women in all walks of life. It is also imperative that our society acknowledges, respects, and supports their contributions at all levels.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Imdadullah Bosal said that we fully appreciate and acknowledge the role of female in every sector of life and added that investing in women’s education, health and economic empowerment can lead to improvement in socioeconomic indices and subsequently develop a stronger nation”.

He said that we are working towards enhancing investment in these areas to strengthen the women workforce and further improve their skills and capabilities.
“My sincerest thanks to our female workers who have been working to protect the children of Pakistan for decades”, he said adding that Women’s contributions have been critical to the progress made in polio eradication in Pakistan.

National Team Lead UNICEF Polio Eradication, Hamish Young lauded the role of female frontline workers in polio eradication and other healthcare services braving all odds and wished all the women a very happy day.

Earlier, the panel members acknowledged that women are often the primary caregivers and decision-makers when it comes to their children’s health. As such, their participation and empowerment are essential to the success of the polio eradication.

They highlighted the significance of the Women’s Day and using this opportunity to recognize the tireless efforts of women in overall public health sector
Additional Secretary Health KP (Polio)/Coordinator EOC, Asif Rahim thanked the Governor KP, Chief Secretary KP, distinguished guests for taking time out of their busy schedule to participate in the event.

He said that in KP region, the polio programme has deployed over 20000 female workers in the polio programme adding that in 2014- 15, the CBV strategy was initiated in the polio core reservoir districts to enhance the quality of campaigns and to reach chronically missed children through the deployment of full-time frontline workers including KP region.

EOC Coordinator stated that the community-based vaccinators mostly women were equipped with knowledge and tools to access and vaccinate hard-to-reach children and build community trust in areas with chronically suboptimal performance during campaigns.

He concluded the event with a vote of thanks and wished all the female a very happy women’s day.