SHIKARPUR - A knit-in event has recently been held at the vocational center in Jumo Mahar as part of a global day of action for newborns.
At the event, women in the village gathered to stitch a blanket using the traditional Rilli art to honour mothers who suffer in unsafe births. The activity was arranged by Save the Children Pakistan Program as part of a global day of action for newborns.
On June 27, a blanket of support will go on display in Johannesburg, preceding an International Conference on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in the city. A lady health visitor, two midwives and three mothers participated in the event where it took up to four days to stitch the blanket. Some of the women who joined the knitting were new to Rilli art, which uses traditional patchwork and appliqué designs and learnt the skill while at the center.
Every year in Pakistan, nearly 350,000 children under the age of 5 die and 26,000 maternal deaths occur due to preventable causes such as lack of a skilled birth attendant, insufficient nutrition, vaccination and necessary health care to have a healthy, normal pregnancy.
Due to the dire situation of such women and children in Pakistan, Save the Children has been highlighting importance of frontline health workers including lady health workers and community midwives to facilitate women to receive healthcare during pregnancy.