Integrated approach imperative for achieving MDGs: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that an integrated approach is imperative for meeting government's objectives of achieving 'Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs) in the key areas of literacy, primary education and primary healthcare. He approved the allocation of Rs 600 million, which is in addition to Rs 300 million already earmarked for PSDP 2009-10 to ensure timely implementation of NCHD plan.
He said this while chairing a meeting to review performance of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) at the PM's House here, on Friday. The prime minister directed the NCHD to utilise its expertise in the areas of primary education and adult literacy in order to achieve country's development agenda for counter terrorism.
Gilani also directed NCHD to prepare a projection plan in consultation with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in order to create public awareness and generate funds by involving private sector. Furthermore, he said that the government was laying great emphasis on improving human development indicators in Pakistan. He directed the NCHD to expand the outreach of a project launch by him in this regard on 8th September 2009 to134 districts of the country.
In the meeting he reaffirmed his government's firm commitment towards ensuring transparency and accountability at all levels and asked the NCHD to take appropriate measures in this regard. The finance minister appreciated NCHD's plan and said that the required funds in this regard will be made available on priority basis.
In her presentation Chairperson, NCHD, Nafisa Shah said that NCHD had been mandated under the NCHD Ordinance to run programs regarding education, health and volunteerism for community development. She said, since its establishment in 2002, NCHD had expanded its programs in a phased manner to 122 districts. She said that NCHD programme undertaken with an annual cost of 2.3 billion rupees involving more than 50 thousand employees would be implemented in almost every district in the country.
She informed the prime minister that a strategy based public-private partnership was being evolved based on community participation, capacity and competency building as well as introduction of the best practices and filling gapes for systemic improvement.
In addition, Gilani was informed that a two-pronged governance structure has been set up in this regard that includes the NCHD in public sector for the implementation of programs and Pakistan Human Development Fund in private sector to oversee the effective implementation and act as custodian of funds of NCHD.
Highlighting the achievements of Universal Primary Education Program, Nafisa Shah said that as a result of NCHD's efforts enrolment of 8.2 million of school children between the age of 5 and 7 years was facilitated thus increasing them from 54% to 86%, while drop out rate reduced from 50% to 20% in 17 districts in phase-I.
146,225 teachers were trained while 3882 closed government schools were re-opened by NCHD. Under the Adult Literacy Program 120,263 centres were established through which 2.68 million learners have benefited 90% of whom were females. The meeting was further informed that under the approved PC-I for three years, the interventions of primary education and adult literacy would be implemented in all the districts of Malakand.
In addition, relief and rehabilitation activities relating to livelihood and employment as well as efforts for establishing a tolerant and friendly society through education interventions are underway. The meeting was informed that NCHD had been awarded Unesco International Literacy Award 2006 as recognition of its efforts in providing education and healthcare facilities at the grassroots level.
The meeting was further informed that an integrated primary healthcare model 2007 was in progress which mainly focused on its structuring of basic health unit by improving health of primary school students in 916 BHUs in 12 districts. Minister for Finance, Shaukat Tareen; Minister for Labour and Manpower, Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah; Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali; Secretary Cabinet, Secretary Education and Secretary Planning also attended the meeting.-PR