He was addressing the National Seminar on Maternal and Child Health organized by the Department of Qabalat-wa-Amraz-e-Niswan, AK Tibbiya College, Aligarh Muslim University.

 Dr. Mushtaq said that according to the statistics available more than 60 million women deliver at home without skilled care, about 530000 women die of pregnancy related complications, with 68000 deaths resulting from unsafe abortion. He added that about 4 million babies die within the first month of life and nearly all (99%) maternal, newborn and child deaths occur in low and middle income countries.

 AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof. PK Abdul Azis said that the health services in India have scaled new heights, the area of maternal and childcare needs to be given increased importance as a large chunk of population of India live in remote villages and towns where public health awareness is still negligible among the common masses. He said that a lot has to be done on the part of the government.

 The people with enlightened vision and education should come forward to educate the families, women and common people in order to spread awareness and sensitize them regarding the maternal and child health, Prof. Azis added.

 Prof. Qamar A. Kazmi, Chairman, Department of Qabalat-wa-Amraz-e-Niswan and Chairman, organizing Committee said that healthy children need healthy mothers and the health of mother depends on several factors, such as status of women in society, their economic conditions, absence of gender discrimination against them, adequate nutrition, health facilities and maternal and child health facilities at priority bases.

Prof. Kazmi said that the motherhood for many women is associated with suffering from ill health and death due to inadequate access to health care and sexual health services. A majority of these deaths and disabilities are preventable by providing them sufficient health care facilities during pregnancy labour and post natal period.

She further said that female foeticide is an extreme manifestation of violence against female. It is prevalent not only in educationally and financially backward society but also amongst educated and well-off strata of society.

Prof. Shagufta Aleem, Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine said that it is a well established fact that the health of women and children is an asset for the nation. It is in the national interest to have healthy children because children are more capable to learn and in the longer term they are more likely to become healthy adults who will contribute as a productive citizen and workforce to continued progress of society.

Prof. Anis Ahmad Ansari, Ex-Advisor, Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health Welfare, Government of India and Dr. Saud Ali Khan, principal, AK Tibiya College also spoke on the occasion. Dr. Suboohi Mustafa proposed vote of thanks and Saman Ansari conducted the programme.