PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION

NUTRITION, FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOOD

Shifa Foundation supports the Government of Pakistan in the improvement of maternal and new born care and infant and young child nutrition practices to overcome the stunning and wasting in the country and reduce the infant and maternal mortality and morbidity in the county. The National Nutrition Survey 2011 results revealed that indicators of stunting and wasting have worsened over the last 10 years. According to NNS 2011, 43.7% children were stunted and 15.1% were wasted at national level. Nutritional status of women of reproductive age group was also low and 18.0% of them were with low Body Mass Index (BMI). The NNS 2011 also revealed that only 25% pregnant mother had knowledge about importance of micronutrient and vitamins and other essential minerals and only 26.7% were taking iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Infant and Young Child Feeding and caring practices was also low with initiation of breast milk for new born within one hour was only 50.5% with exclusive breast-feeding rate of 9.6%. Moreover, timely initiation of complementary food was 63 % among infants 6 to 8 months but only 3.2% of infants 6 to 24 months old were getting appropriate dietary diversification for complementary feeding.

Shifa Foundation implemented several projects in different disadvantaged communities of the country to respond their dire nutritional needs. The purpose of these projects was to respond to the immediate needs of malnourished households and contribute in food security of different disaster affected and vulnerable communities through nutrition specific interventions. These interventions strengthened the capacity of the health system to better anticipate, prepare for and deliver services for the management of acute malnutrition during periods of high demand whilst still protecting and supporting on-going health and nutrition system strengthening efforts. Screened children, pregnant and lactating women in response to the immediate needs of malnutrition and contributed to food security of disaster affected vulnerable communities. Shifa Foundation also introduces innovative ideas of food security and skill enhancement to empower communities and uplift their livelihoods through exploring new economic opportunities.

WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE – WASH

While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack these basic services. Worldwide, one in three people do not have access to safe drinking water, two out of five people do not have a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water, and more than 673 million people still practice open defecation. To increase access to clean drinking water, improved sanitation and ensure individual, domestic and environmental hygiene, Shifa Foundation contributed through its WASH projects particularly in the drought affected areas of Sindh province of Pakistan.

MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT (MHM)

Shifa Foundation is the part of the national MHM forum and working group. SF has two MHM master trainer at head office level. Recently SF conducted two ToT for field staff one in district Umerkot and other at district Sanghar. Currently SF is implementing MHM project for a drought-affected population of district Umerkot funded by UNICEF. Shifa Foundation also integrated MHM activities in Saaf Suthro Sindh project in district Sanghar.

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT-DRM

Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and other disasters is high. The country ranks seventh on the Global Climate Risk Index of countries most affected by climate change from 1996 to 2015. In the last decade, a range of disasters triggered by natural hazards have affected over 50 million people and damaged the means of livelihoods. To contribute in reducing the hazard of disasters, Shifa Foundation emphases on strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing resilience of at-risk communities through community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM).

DRR is mainstreamed in all projects of Shifa Foundation to raise awareness and enhance resilience of the communities to reduce losses of lives and properties. Shifa Foundation has implemented multiple projects in disaster affected communities to address their health, nutrition, WASH and other unmet needs.

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Besides changes in climate through earth natural process, we also suffer from anthropogenic climate changes due to deforestation, urbanization and industrialization. The changing climate impacts society and ecosystems in a broad variety of ways. The climate change can alter rainfall, influence crop yields, affect human health, cause changes to forests and other ecosystems, and even impact our energy supply. Therefore, Shifa Foundation is making efforts to contribute in saving the environment through plantation community mobilization to use reusable Bags, save water and electricity. Shifa Foundation has planted trees and plants in different areas of the country through our Community Social Services and Volunteerism campaigns.

COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES AND VOLUNTEERISM

Shifa Foundation believes in community engagement and participatory approach to assist the vulnerable through self-help and strengthen the institutions through active involvement of communities. More than 450 volunteers got registered in our Volunteer Program including students and social workers belong to different walks of life contribute actively in community engagement, distribution of ration packages, dastarkhwan activities, raising welfare funds, content writing and social media activities. Our Community Engagement Program provides learning opportunities to young students to become part of multiple welfare activities and enhance their skills and capabilities.

HEALTH SERVICES DELEVERY AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPICITY BUILDING

Shifa foundation envisions a healthy world for all and endeavors to provide quality health services to the underprivileged and poverty stricken communities. Despite multi-million dollars international funding projects and internal resources of the country, still there is dire need to invest in health and wellbeing of underprivileged communities, this is why SF pays comparatively more attention to good health and wellbeing.

Shifa Foundation endeavors to secure more funding for the most appropriate and sustainable responses to the health needs and vulnerabilities of affected populations at grassroots level as well as for intuitional capacity building to bring a sustainable change in the sector. Through generous support of our partners and donors including Nutritional International, Concern Worldwide, UNICEF, Health Care Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, WHO, UNFPA and UNOCHA, Shifa Foundation has implemented many projects in the most challenging and remote areas of the country and delivered quality services.