MANSEHRA:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has launched a social behaviour change programme to promote dietary diversity and healthy eating habits, particularly among lactating women and other vulnerable segments of society.

`This initiative aims to raise awareness, especially among women, about the importance of consuming a variety of nutritious foods to support both physical and mental well-being,` District Health Officer Dr Faisal Khanzada told the programme`s inaugural ceremony on Wednesday.

The event was followed by a walk and a sensitisation session attended by doctors, lady health workers, technicians from the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme, and other offi-cials from the health department.

Mohammad Waleed, the campaign`s focal person, and Inhamur Rehman Yusufzai, a nutrition expert, also addressed the event.

Dr Faisal said the campaign symbolises collective action and community commitment to improving dietary habits.

`A balanced diet is crucial for preventing malnutrition,boosting immunity, and ensuring overall health, especially for children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable populations,`he stressed.

He said that the initiative, launched with Unicef`s support, included training healthcare practitioners across the district on the scientific and practical importance of dietary diversity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Waleed said with consistent messaging, community involvement, and the right support, dietary diversity could become a norm in every household.

Nutritionist Inhamur Rehman Yusufzai added that such initiatives were the need of the hour to promote education, awareness, and healthy eating habits, particularly among women and children.

Teachers seek solution: All Primary Teachers Association (APTA) on Wednesday called on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to resolve the long-standing issues faced by teachers across the province.

`The government had earlier announced upgradation for teachers, but we have yet to received those benefits, a frustrating and embarrassing situation for teachers,` Sher Afzal Khan, president of APTA, told reporters in Oghi.

`If our issues are not resolved, we will be left with no choice but to take to the streets for our rights,` Mr Khanwarned.