LADY HEALTH WORKERS PROGRAM IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Being signatory to Alma Ata declaration, the Government of Pakistan started the ‘National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care’ (NPFP & PHC), also called ‘Lady Health Workers (LHWs) program’ in 1994. Being one of the largest and successful, community-based program in the world, it is providing door-step PHC services to about one billion people, especially home-bound, rural, poor women, children and elderly. The program has been improving many health indicators including infant and maternal mortality rates in the last two & a half decades.1