UK grants $41m to improve healthcare system
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) marked World Health Day today(Monday) by announcing a cash injection of $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, Newborn 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 ten 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.
In order 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.
“In leading by example, it improves confidence in the sector, catalysing inward investment and it has brought about significant direct improvements in services.”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’s 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.
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 ten 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.