KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative Abdullah A Fadil agreed to launch Child Protection programme to strengthen evidence-based policy and legislation. Both agreed in at meeting at CM House.

They discussed to foster enabling environment to strengthen evidence-based policy and legislation under child labour survey, child protection policy and birth registration by-laws, protection from child online abuse and exploitation.

Key points of programme for child protection included prevention of child marriage, parenting packages for positive parent-child interaction, child online protection-ethical and safe use of cyber technology and strengthening of community-based protection structures.

Besides service strengthening to deliver equity-based gender-responsive services for children and adolescents, case management and referral system including certified of proficiency in information system management, capacity strengthening of child protection workforce and community-based mental health and psychosocial support also came under discussion. Meeting agreed that UNICEF would support health department for Expanded Programme on Immunisation for better immunisation services for full immunisation of all children.

In meeting, CM and UNICEF Country Chief agreed to launch strong nutrition-responsive system in health department to ensure optimal nutrition for mothers and children, improved nutrition for adolescents and middle-aged children, functional multisectoral coordination for Early Childhood Development and nutrition. Earlier, CM Murad in meeting greenlighted policy of gradually upgrading all primary schools to post-primary schools in an effort to bring back 4.1 million out-of-school children.