accounts for close to 40% of the total budget allocated for the health sector. The Committee further recommends that the State Party increase its efforts to fully implement its health plans and programmes and ensure effective utilization and full implementation of the budget allocated. 33. Moreover, the Committee notes with concern that there is low health coverage especially in rural areas and that health services are predominantly centralized. The State Party is encouraged to increase the coverage of health services by establishing more health care centers and by decentralizing skilled medical personnel and facilities across all provinces. 34. While the Committee recognizes with appreciation the reduced rate of child mortality, it is concerned about the very high maternal mortality and child mortality that is due to preventable diseases, especially of Malaria. In this regard, the Committee recommends that the State Party: a. undertakes a study to identify the main factors leading to such high maternal and child mortality in order to come up with programmes that can respond to the problem; b. provides free primary health service to children and mothers; in particular provide free antenatal and postnatal care; c. provides free and culturally acceptable skilled care during child birth by training and assigning skilled birth attendants in all provinces and by sensitizing the community to give birth in health care facilities; and d. invests in prevention and early identification of malaria by establishing community case management, providing insecticide treated mosquito nets, and providing intermittent preventive treatments. 35. Additionally, the Committee recommends that the State Party undertakes monitoring and evaluation of its health plans and programs to assess their impact on children’s welfare. The Committee also encourages the State Party to closely work with partners and stakeholders in its endeavours to improve its health service. G. Education, leisure and cultural activities 36. The Committee commends the adoption of the Basic Law of Education Systems (Law No 1/01) which ensures free and compulsory primary education and the National Plan for Education. The Committee also appreciates the monitoring and evaluation of school and teaching activities which is being undertaken by the Government. While noting the progress in the education field, the Committee is concerned that the net attendance rate in primary school is low especially in rural areas and the enrolment and net attendance rate in secondary schools is very low. Additionally, the Committee has observed that there is a high dropout rate in early primary school stages and there are significant numbers of children who are out of school. The Committee further notes that the School Lunch Program is not operating 10