The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) will provide technical support to develop the conditions of the marginalised and vulnerable women and children in Goalpara district.
In a joint meeting with the district officers of different departments at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara district on Friday, a team of UNICEF under the supervision of Dr Tushar Rane, chief field officer (CEO) in Assam took stock of the present positions of the implementation of the Central and State run schemes regarding women and child development.
The departments like Health and Family Welfare, Public Health Engineering, Sarba Shiksa Abhiyan, Police, Social Welfare, Child Protection unit presented their present status and sought technical help from the UNICEF citing the challenges before them.
Varnali Deka, Deputy Commissioner, Goalpara, presided and Nur Hussain, ADC, coordinated in the programme whereas Amitava Sinha, Superintendent of Police, Goalpra, presented the picture of crime and violence in the district specially referring to crimes against children.
Dr Rane and his team emphasised on providing clean and hygiene environment to people by working upon Swacha Bharat Mission and also on making it mandatory on the use of safe drinking water by working with the Public Health Engineering Department.
UNICEF interventions in Goalpara will focus on strengthening implementation of Central and State Government schemes so that they reach the most marginalized and vulnerable children and women.
The UNICEF will also work in Goalpara to improve child survival by strengthening the delivery quality of health services, providing support for capacity development and strengthening health systems, evidence based policy advocacy, monitoring and supportive supervision.
Assam is at the bottom of the list with regard to Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) with a figure of 300 against the national average of 167.
The Centre is aggressively carrying out vaccination and other medication to reduce the MMR across many districts of Assam, including Nagaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Karbi Anglong, Kokrajhar and Chirang under ‘Mission Indradhanush’, added Rane.