News
USAID project to improve maternal and child health launched in Buner
PESHAWAR, July 2 : The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has formally launched a five years project for improvement of maternal and newborns health to be executed in collaboration with health department at district Buner under Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN).
The launching ceremony of PAIMAN for Buner was held was held at District Headquarters Hospital Daggar, Buner.
Speaker Provincial Assembly, Bakht Jahan Khan was the Chief Guest while the NWFP Minister for Health, Inayatullah was the Guest of Honour on the occasion. Members of national and provincial assemblies, Director General Health Services NWFP, Dr. Jalil ur Rahman, District Coordination Officer Buner, Mr. Aurangzeb Khan, large number of notables, opinion makers and representatives from different walks of life from the district attended the ceremony.
Provincial Minister for Health, Inayatullah while highlighting the achievements of MMA government in health sector, informed the audience about recently announced unprecedented incentives package for female healthcare providers working in the nine marginalized districts of the province including Buner.
The Minister vowed to develop the NWFP as a role model to be followed in health sector. He appreciated the design of PAIMAN project which would provide mechanisms for the effective involvement of government, elected representatives and communities to decide priorities for interventions by the project in the areas of maternal and newborns health.
Speaking on the occasion, Bakht Jahan Khan, Speaker of the NWFP Assembly lauded the provincial health department for taking the right step of including district Buner in PAIMAN project. He assured the fullest possible support to PAIMAN team in effective implementation of the project activities.Highlighting objectives of the project, Dr. Nabeela Ali, Chief of Party for PAIMAN informed that its main purpose was to improve the poor situation of health indicators related to maternal and neonatal health in the district.
She explained that PAIMAN Project would be implemented through a consortium led by John Snow Inc., a famous US based international organization with wide experience of working in many countries of the world. She further informed that other consortium partners to work in NWFP would include Save the Children US, Contech International Health Consultants, the Aga Khan University, green star social marketing and Population Council of Pakistan.
Dr. Nabeela Ali told that PAIMAN was a unique project due to its flexible design that would ensure effective participation of provincial and district governments as well as all the stakeholders in healthcare in planning and implementation.
"Main interventions under PAIMAN project would be in the areas of strengthening healthcare delivery system both in public and private sectors, provision of 24 hours emergency obstetrical care, capacity building of health staff and community based interventions to improve accessibility to healthcare services", she disclosed.
Appreciating the commitment of NWFP government and its pioneering steps taken to improve the condition of maternal and child health in the province, she hoped that it would help in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It is recalled that USAID, under PAIMAN would spend about 50 Million US Dollars in ten selected districts of Pakistan to improve the maternal and newborns health.