About Us
Background
RMNCH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health) being inaugurated in July 2020 that integrates 3 programs, the Lady Health Worker (LHW) Program, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) Program, and a Nutrition Program
Program Overview:
Sindh Government has shifted to 8 vertical programs from development to non-development side with effect from 1st July 2020. RMNCH is integrated with previously programs, which are as under:
1) Sindh LHW Program for Family Planning & Primary Health Care
2) Maternal Neonatal and Child Health Program
3) TB Control Program
4) HIV / AIDS Program
5) Malaria Control Program
6) Prevention and Control of Hepatitis
7) Prevention and Control of Dengue
8) Prevention & Control of Blindness
Vision
To ensure equitable access to quality nutrition and essential healthcare services for underprivileged and vulnerable populations in rural and underserved urban areas of Sindh. Through effective implementation of RMNCH services, the program envisions significant and sustainable improvements in the health and well-being of women, newborns, and children, contributing to healthier families and stronger communities.
Objectives:
To Enhance Maternal and Infant Health
- (For difficult-to-reach locations) Rural Ambulance Service
- Healthy Pregnancy Timing and Spacing
- Nutritional Problems in Adolescents & PLWs
- Essential Facilities for Newborn Care
- Services in Nutrition (Preventive and Curative)
- Ambulance Service (for difficult-to-reach locations) and
- Skill Birth Attendant (SBA)
To Enhance Family Planning Services
- Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR)
- Services with Post-Partum Family Planning
- Building Healthcare Providers’ Capacity
Nutrition Services
- It addresses malnutrition and related health issues particularly in mothers and children.
- It includes education on proper nutrition, supplementation, and interventions to improve nutritional status.
Scope of RMNCH
Lady Health Worker Program:
The Lady Health Worker Program (LHWP), also known as the National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care, was launched in 1994. The program aims to improve maternal, newborn, and child health while ensuring access to family planning services at the community level.
In Sindh, the program has significantly expanded outreach health services, particularly for rural populations and urban slum communities. Currently, more than 20,898 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and 723 Lady Health Supervisors (LHSs) are deployed across the province, providing essential primary health care and preventive services directly to households.
MNCH Program:
The MNCH Program focuses on strengthening service delivery mechanisms to reduce preventable maternal, neonatal, and child morbidity and mortality. The program emphasizes a strategic shift from curative care to promotive and preventive services through an integrated primary health care approach.
In response to the need for a coherent, innovative, sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective MNCH strategy, the Ministry of Health launched the National MNCH Strategic Framework in April 2005. The vision of the framework is “a society where no family suffers the loss of a mother or newborn due to preventable or treatable causes.”
The framework commits to ensuring the availability of high-quality MNCH services for all, with special emphasis on poor and disadvantaged populations. It aims to improve access to effective MNCH services through the development and implementation of sustainable provincial and district-level programs. Pakistan is also a signatory to several international commitments aimed at improving maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.
Nutrition Program:
Under the Nutrition Program, preventive and curative nutrition services are provided across all 30 districts of Sindh through the Lady Health Worker network. Services include screening of children under five years of age and pregnant and lactating women (PLWs).
The program provides essential micronutrient support, including iron tablets, Vitamin A, and Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for mothers and children. Children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without medical complications are managed through Outpatient Therapeutic Programs (OTPs). These services include the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) at BHUs, 24/7 RHCs, THQs, and DHQs across the province.
