RANGPUR, Mar 05, 2019 (BSS) – Experts at an introductory meeting have
stressed on maintaining sound health of pregnant and lactating working
mothers for normal physical and mental growth of babies to build a healthier
nation.
They put special emphasis on comprehensive efforts of all concerned,
including local public representatives, to make the government’s ‘Reform Plan
for Maternity Allowance and Lactating Mother Allowance Programmes’ successful
toward the direction.
They viewed this at the meeting on implementation of the ‘Reform Plan for
Maternity Allowance and Lactating Mother Allowance Programmes’ organised by
Upazila Women Affairs’ Office at Officers’ Welfare Club at Gangachara upazila
town yesterday.
Union Chairmen and government officials of different departments of
Gangachara upazila, beneficiary mothers, and representatives of different
NGOs, World Food Programme (WFP) and National Development Programme (NDP)
attended the meeting.
District Women Affairs’ Officer Kawser Pervin attended the meeting as the
chief guest with President of Gangachara Upazila Union Chairmen parisahd and
Mornea Union Chairman Mosaddek Ali Azad in the chair.
Gangachara Upazila Women Affairs’ Officer Mahmuda Begum discussed goals
and objective of the ‘Reform Plan for Maternity Allowance and Lactating
Mother Allowance Programmes’ being run by the Ministry of Women and Children
Affairs.
Gangachara Upazila Livestock officer Dr. Nazmul Huda, Upazila Agriculture
Officer Agriculturist Shariful Islam, WFP Representative Bithika Biswas, NDP
Representative Dr. Sajjad Hossain addressed as special guests.
Representatives Shahid Begum of WFP and Mizanur Rahman of NDP discussed
different aspects of the Reform Plan for Maternity Allowance and Lactating
Mother Allowance Programmes.
The speakers lauded the government for launching various programmes like
allowances for pregnant and lactating working mothers to ensure health
services for them both in rural and urban areas.
The chief guest called upon grassroots’ level public representatives to
ensure proper selection of beneficiary pregnant and lactating working mothers
for successful implementation of the reform plan.
She suggested the beneficiary mothers to meet their nutrition properly by
taking vegetables and other foods so that they could provide breast milk to
their babies for their proper mental and physical developments and reducing
scope for illness.