Maternal and newborn health: experts stress importance of research-based evidence

Speakers stress upon the role of research-based evidence to action beyond 2015 in order to build better policies and practices related to maternal and newborn health in Pakistan. Research and Advocacy Fund for Maternal and Newborn Health (RAF) organised a 2-day conference to share their learnings from more than six years of successful projects in Pakistan, and give profile to issues to determine the way forward beyond 2015.
The conference facilitated debates and discussions leading to call for action to support sustainable development goals beyond 2015. Research and Advocacy Fund is a key component of the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)'s commitment to Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, and their support to Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) in Pakistan. The RAF is managed by a consortium led by the British Council with its partners Impact at the University of Aberdeen, Social Development Direct and RIZ Consulting.
Speakers from both government and development sector of Pakistan emphasised on the importance of research-based evidence to improve policies and practices related to maternal and newborn health in the country. Regional and international participants also shared learnings from their own country's contexts and how Pakistan can benefit from their experiences.
Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal emphasised on the importance of research funded by RAF and applauded its role in improving MNH in Pakistan, he said "It is indeed a great challenge for us as a nation that Pakistan is among those countries that has the worst social indicators. Moreover, social sectors have been under invested in Pakistan and have not achieved the allocation that they deserve. The government of Pakistan is committed and we have taken major initiatives to make investments in the social sector. By 2025, we will see Pakistan among the top economies of the world."
John Payne, Regional Business Director British Council, Judith Herbertson, Deputy Head of Office DFID Pakistan, Peter Coventry, Head of Aid DFAT, Dr Susheela Singh, Vice President for Research Guttmacher Institute, Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta, Robert Harding Inaugural Chair Global Child Health The Hospital for Sick Children, and Sarah Hall, Programme Manager RAF also addressed the audience.-PR