United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $75 million to Pakistan as grant assistance to help reduce poverty from the country.
A signing ceremony in this regard was held here on Thursday. US ambassador Nancy J. Powell and USAID Director Lisa Chiles signed on behalf of the United States while Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, Dr Waqar Masood Khan signed on behalf of the government of Pakistan.
As part of USAIDs on-going programs and commitments, the grant assistance will continue to improve the quality of education and health services, help create employment and economic opportunities within communities, and improve legislative and local governance.
Improving primary and secondary education remains a top USAID and Ministry of Education priority. USAID is focusing its efforts in Balochistan and Sindh provinces.
USAID is also rehabilitating and refurbishing schools in the Fata. Improving health care services, especially for women and children, is also an important USAID objective.
Through grants to local organisations, more women now have access to quality reproductive health care services.
USAID is also improving health care services at the provincial and district level by training health officials and healthcare providers. The program is also helping to decrease transmission of communicable diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
USAID will soon launch a new material and neonatal care program in each province to reduce the incidence of material and infant mortality.
USAID is also providing micro-credit and micro-finance services to help create opportunities, especially in Sindh and Balochistan.
USAID is also helping small and medium-size businesses improve their ability to compete in domestic, regional, and international markets that will also create jobs.
USAID will also offer merit-based undergraduate and graduate scholarships for poor students to study at leading Pakistani institutions of higher education.
USAID is helping introduce new arid agricultural practices to increase the income of small scale farmers.
Comments
Comments are closed.