PAIMANN e w s R o u n d u p

October - December , 2008 - Issue 5

Message from the COP

PAIMAN Launched in New Districts

PAIMAN funded by USAID, was launched as a five year project in November 2004 as an initiative for maternal and newborn health in 10 districts of Pakistan. With sincere dedication and commitment PAIMAN team proved its competence and was considered to be awarded another 13 districts of Pakistan by USAID in 2008. Now, PAIMAN is the initiative to improve the maternal, newborn and child health through viable and demonstrable initiatives in 23 districts of Pakistan with extension of project life to 2010.

The new PAIMAN districts include: Zhob, Gwadar, Sibi, and Quetta from Balochistan, Khairpur from Sindh, Vehari from Punjab, D.I.Khan, Mardan, Peshawar and Charsada from NWFP and Sudhnotee and Bhimber from AJK. Swat and two other agencies from FATA are already members of PAIMAN intervention areas. The launching ceremonies took place in the months of October and November, 2008 in the following order.

· Sindh October 21, 2008· NWFP November 6, 2008 · Punjab November 11, 2008· AJK November 13, 2008· Balochistan November 18, 2008.

The attendance at the launching ceremonies depicted a strong collaboration of PAIMAN with the public and private sectors through enthusiastic participation at both provincial and federal levels, from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Population Welfare, representatives from the private sector, local government and community along with consortium partners and USAID representatives. The partners from government pledged their support for the implementation of PAIMAN activities in their respective districts.

PAIMAN consortium led by JSI is committed to improve the maternal, newborn and child health by demonstrable and viable interventions.

Khairpur Launch

Trainings

Trainers of TBAs with Dr. Nabeela Ali

Participants of Leadership Training

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Participants of CCA Training

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being females. Almost all of the Lady Health Supervisors

(LHSs) and LHWs in Jaffarabad also attended the event.

At this occasion, stalls were set up by Mercy Corps,

GFATM-6, FALAH Project, Greenstar Social Marketing,

SEPRS, SCOPE and YMSESDO. Other highlights of the

day included a theater performance by Sehar Arts Group,

the objective of which was to deliver PAIMAN's maternal

and neonatal health messages to the participants. A Quiz

Competition was also organized to assess the knowledge of

the community regarding maternal and neonatal health.

Those who answered correctly to the questions asked in the

quiz competition were given prizes. Another interesting

activity of the event that was widely appreciated by the

guests was the “Healthy Mother” and “Healthy Baby”

show, in which the most healthy mother and baby of the

district were given prizes. Furthermore, in order to admire

the great role and tiring efforts of LHVs and LHWs in

PAIMAN four best LHVs and eight LHWs of the District

at Tehsil level were given certificates and prizes by the

DCO, District Nazim, EDO(H) and DCNP.

Mir. Khan Muhammad Khan Jamali who was the Chief

Guest at the occasion while addressing the gathering said

that PAIMAN has brought great awareness on the issues of

mother and child health in the district and the PAIMAN

team conducts community mobilization activities with

great zeal, vigor and enthusiasm. He assured his full

cooperation with PAIMAN in the future as well. Dr. Syed

Hasan Zaidi, Field Operations Manager, JSI presented an

overview of PAIMAN interventions in Jaffarabad and

people welcomed the extension and expansion of PAIMAN

in four more districts of Balochistan i.e. Quetta, Sibi, Zhob

and Gawadur.

A one-day “Mega Social Mobilization Event on Mother thand Child Health” was held on 25 October, 2008 at

Officers Club, Dera Allah Yar in Jaffarabad. The event was

organized by one of the PAIMAN consortium partners,

Mercy Corps; in coordination with the Health Department,

JSI, and other district partners including Green Star and

Sub-Grantee NGOs (SCOPE, YMSEDSO & SEPRS). The

event was titled as “LHW Tujhay Salam” and dedicated to

the Lady Health Workers (LHWs) of the National Program.

More than 500 people participated in this event, majority

From left to right: Dr Saeed Jamali (DCO)Dr. Saeed Ul lah Khan (Mercy Corps) Mir Muhammad Khan Jamali (Nazim Jaffarabad)D r . A m a n u l l a h ( D G H e a l t h )Dr. Jamal-ud-Din (EDO Health)

By Dr. Imran Munir, Mercy Corps

Mega Social Mobilization

Event on Mother and

Child Health

Chief of Party Awarded Gold Medal for her

Exceptional Services

Dr. Lippeveld awarding the medal to Dr. Nabeela Ali

Dr. Nabeela Ali has been awarded a Gold Medal on December 5, 2008 in Boston, USA for her exceptional services rendered in the past four years as the PAIMAN Chief of Party. The medal was given to her during a meeting of US based PAIMAN partners on the recently awarded expansion of the PAIMAN and to discuss the modalities for a speedy implementation. At this occasion Dr.Theo Lippeveld, Senior Advisor and Vice-President of the

International Division expressed the hope that under Dr.Nabeela's leadership PAIMAN will continue to further expand access to quality services for mothers and children throughout Pakistan.

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.

CA#391 A-00-05-01037 is funded by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, lnc.

In conjunction with Aga Khan University, Contech International, Greenstar Social Marketing, Johns Hopkins University / CCP, PAVHNA, The Population Council, Save the Children USA

For feed back & suggestions please write to: Editor, PAIMAN News RoundupPopulation Council, H # 7, St. 62, F-6/3, Islamabad. Or E-mail: newsletter@paiman.org.pk

First Baby Delivered under the Voucher Scheme

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By Dr. Haris Ahmed, Greenstar

To improve access and utilization of reproductive health services by women of

poor socio economic class, Greenstar as a consortium partner of USAID funded

Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) project led by John

Snow Inc., launched a pilot financing mechanism in D G Khan District; by

subsidizing the price of maternal and neonatal services through vouchers.

“Vouchers for Health” initiative provides the poor and/or otherwise disadvantaged

segment of the society services of antenatal care, delivery by a skilled birth

attendant and family planning counselling, free of charge by GoodLife Providers in

D G Khan. The consumer (patient) is identified by Greenstar Community Health Coordinators and provided with a Voucher

Booklet. The consumers redeem services free of cost against these Vouchers when seeking care. Greenstar pays for the cost

of the Voucher to the provider. Voucher distribution began in September 2008 in six Union Councils of D G Khan city by

Greenstar Health Coordinators.

Khalida Mukhtiar was one of the recipients of this voucher. Her husband is a welder by profession earning Rs 800.00 a

week. Due to limited resources she had never consulted a doctor for any of her pregnancies and all her previous deliveries

were assisted by a traditional birth attendant (TBA). Khalida was in her 8 month of pregnancy and had been in consultation

with her TBA, when Greenstar Health Coordinator met her and gave her the voucher. She took Khalida to Dr. Ruqiya

Masood, a GoodLife provider who is participating in the Voucher Program, for

her antennal visit. On 12 October 2008, Khalida gave birth to a healthy baby;

the delivery was conducted by Dr. Ruqiya Masood at Aisha Clinic & Maternity

Home, D G Khan. With the care provided to her during her delivery, Khalida

assured her physician that she will come back after a month for family planning

consultation.

Khalida’s baby girl born on Oct 12, 2008

Aisha Clinic and Maternity Home, DG Khan

“I can never imagine having my delivery by such a r enowned doctor fr ee of

cost; I am very much satisfied and thankful to Greenstar for the voucher”

Khalida