The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) marked World Health Day on Sunday by announcing $41 million for the government of Pakistan's healthcare system.
The funding will be used to support the National Health Facility ($30 million) and the Government's National Maternal, New-born and Child Health initiative ($11 million). The government estimates that these programmes could save up to 65,000 children's lives, 5,000 mothers' lives and protect 32 million children from polio in 2008 alone.
With one in 10 children not reaching their fifth birthday and every year at least 15,000 women dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, improving healthcare in Pakistan is a real challenge - but one that the government is working to address with donors such as the UK.
"To reach the Millennium Development Goals, to cut child deaths and improve mother's health, to which Pakistan is committed and signed up to, we must do better than we have. National Health Facility and MNCH Programme will help get Pakistan on the road there." commented Khushnood Lashari, Secretary Health, Ministry of Health "DFID Pakistan is the major donor in health in Pakistan," stated Dr Bile, WHO Representative in Pakistan.
The DFID's support for the National Health Facility to date has totalled $167 million over the last five years. The government estimates that in part thanks to this funding, 200,000 fewer children have died, 800,000 fewer children are malnourished, 2.4 million cases of TB have been prevented and the number of Lady Health Workers has risen to 95,000.
"There is clear evidence that by working closely with the government we are going to be able to tackle Pakistan's health challenges over the longer-term," commented Mr Eric Hawthorn, Head of DFID Pakistan. "We've contributed to Pakistan's success in tackling TB: TB case detection rate is 69% and treatment success rate is now 87%. The challenge now is to replicate this impact in maternal and new-born health."
Comments
Comments are closed.