28th May is celebrated as “International Day of Action for Women’s Health” worldwide. It’s a great opportunity to draw the much needed attention towards the plethora of issues faced by women in our society — ones that usually get brushed aside especially sexual reproductive health. As of late , reproductive health facilities have hit an all-time low owing to COVID-19.
28th May is celebrated as “International Day of Action for Women’s Health” worldwide. It’s a great opportunity to draw the much needed attention towards the plethora of issues faced by women in our society — ones that usually get brushed aside especially sexual reproductive health. As of late , reproductive health facilities have hit an all-time low owing to COVID-19.
The corona virus situation has exacerbated it by further constraining the access of women to reproductive health services. This day is celebrated to shed light on all those health issues which are considered controversial and a taboo in our society. It’s the 21st century and we are still grappling with basic issues such as the access of women to basic health facilities in the developing world.
The situation of women’s health is particularly grim, therefore, awareness and commemoration of the Action for Women’s health is crucial to keep the issue of women’s health alive.The health facilities in Balochistan are scant and insufficient to cater to the needs of women in general and rural women in particular. The maternal mortality rate in Balochistan is 850 per 100000 live births.
There are six districts in Balochistan where no hospital exists let alone specialized obstetric care for women or pediatric care for children.Needless to say, access to health facilities is a basic human right but our women have been deprived of it and denied of this basic right. Keeping in view this bleak scenario, Balochistan Rural Support Programme has been contributing towards the improvement of the health related services in 26 districts of Balochistan.
BRSP has successfully set up state of the art telehealth centers in four districts whereby rural women can get expert advice and diagnosis from the best doctors in Pakistan. Under its support to continuity of SRH & GBV Services in remote areas of Pakistan at the time of COVID 19 and beyond project funded by UNFPA, BRSP has created women friendly spaces in six districts namely Quetta, Chagai, Turbat, Killa Saifulla, Pishin and Loralai where women can discuss any issue related to their health, receive sessions on gender based violence, SRH and those who are suffering from anxiety, depression, phobias and other mental disorders are provided Psycho-Social Support by psychologists to help them.
Balochistan rural support Programme is focused on improving the health status of marginalized and disadvantaged communities by increasing the demand for health services through social mobilization, improving the infrastructure of health facilities, creating spaces for women and awareness about women health issues, capacity building of the health practitioners, improving the governance at district level, policy advocacy for health, prioritization in planning at provincial level and provision of equipments and other missing facilities.
Major components under health components are Primary Health Care, B-EmOC services, C-EmOC services, addressing the reproductive health issues, organizing Mobile Service Units in far-flung and mountainous areas of Balochistan.
Additionally, BRSP has strengthened 717 health facilities through the provision of medicines and health, furniture, microscopes, Anesthesia Machines, disposable delivery and hygiene kits and establishment of Labor room plus735,737, given a number of awareness sessions on HIV/AIDS, nutrition and GBV.