The recent health indicators for child and mental health mortality in Pakistan reveal that the country falls far below international standards, which require instant and careful consideration for effective long term planning, says a report by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC).

Waterborne diseases

Minister for Environment, Hamidullah Jan Afridi Thursday announced that there would be 100 per cent sanitation coverage by 2015, and stressed the need to devise a three pronged strategy to achieve this target.

Ministry of Environment in collaboration with national and international agencies will launch the first phase of "TAHAFUZ-Together in Emergency for Health, Family and Environment," for 5,000 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Mardan, costing Rs 4 million. This was revealed by Kamran Lashari, Secretary Ministry of Environment, while addressing a press conference here on Friday.

Aarti Dhar

GUNA (M.P.): Round-the-clock call centres across the world are known for doing business, but the one here runs to save lives

Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis have fled from fighting in the Swat mountain valley only to be subjected to a cruel onslaught from nature on the plain below.

More than 800,000 people have left their homes in the scenic valley of orchards, forests and bubbling streams since government forces began battling Taliban militants there late last month.

Training in integrated water and sanitation planning will be organised in Gaibandha Municipality under a joint project of the Government, UNICEF and DFID, officials said.

The project titled Sanitation, Hygiene Education and Water Supply in Bangladesh (SHEWAB) began in the municipality in July, 2008.

Although the country has made significant progress in reducing under-five child mortality, the rates of neonatal and maternal mortality still remain high, creating obstacle to achieving the target of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) four and five by 2015.

Although the country has made significant progress in reducing under-five child mortality, the rates of neonatal and maternal mortality still remain high, creating obstacle to achieving the target of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) four and five by 2015.

: In a bid to reach maximum number of children with the vital oral polio vaccine, the health authorities in association with a cellular service provider, launched an SMS broadcast to reach out to millions of parents in selected high-risk zones across country, said Health Minister Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani.

Jakhrani said this while addressing a ceremony held here on Tuesday.