The speakers at a consultative meeting said that there is a need to strengthen institutional network and capacities so that they could play a key role in successful implementation of health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The speakers expressed these views while addressing 'Stakeholders Consultation on Health Related SDGs,' organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Thursday.
"The failure in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should be taken as a lesson by identifying and redressing the gaps in implementation so that health services can be improved across Pakistan." The consultative meeting was attended by the representatives from relevant government departments, academia, research institutions, think tanks, and NGOs/ CSOs.
Project Director SDGs Unit Planning Commission Zafar-ul-Islam termed the lack of monitoring and mechanisms to measure the progress as one of the major factors behind the failure in successful implementation on MDGs. He said that the government of Pakistan has now developed the networks from provincial to district and then to grassroots levels, adding that private sector, think tanks and CSOs were also included in the implementation process to make it inclusive at every level.
Representing the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) Dr Babar Tasneem Sheikh said that the federal government is extending its support to provinces, especially in terms of expertise to achieve the targets set under the health related SDGs.
Shafqat Munir from the SDPI in his opening remarks said that building resilience of communities would be imperative to achieve the desired targets regarding health related SDGs. He said that it is the only viable option to achieve rest of the global development agendas as well.
Brig Rizwan Ullah Asghar, Dr Anis Kazi, Dr Naeem uz Zafar and Dr M Safi also covered the diverse aspects of the health-related SDGs. The speakers said that political will would play a key role in carrying out the SDGs.