ISLAMABAD: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $258 million for the National Health Support Programme (NHSP) to strengthen primary health care systems and to accelerate national efforts towards universal health coverage in Pakistan.
The programme complements ongoing investments in human capital and builds on health reforms that aim to improve quality and equitable access to healthcare services, especially in communities lagging behind national and regional-level health outcomes.
“Pakistan continues to make strides in health reforms toward ensuring access to primary healthcare services, especially for children and women during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Najy Benhassine, World Bank country director for Pakistan. “By strengthening provincial health systems, this programme is foundational to building the country’s human capital and improving health and nutrition outcomes for its citizens.”
The programme will focus on healthcare reforms across three main areas: Healthcare coverage and quality of essential services to ensure adequate staffing, supplies and medicines, and enhance patient referral systems to expedite emergency and higher-level care; Governance and accountability to strengthen oversight and management of primary healthcare services through real-time monitoring of available supplies and essential medicines.
This includes a central information platform for provincial authorities to assess gaps in service delivery across public and private healthcare facilities; Healthcare financing to improve the financial management of primary healthcare centres for better expenditure tracking and budget forecasting to sustain quality healthcare services and delivery.
FY23: World Bank projects economic slowdown in Pakistan, says growth will be 4%
“NHSP creates a national forum for the federal and provincial governments to exchange lessons and collaborate on achieving sustainable health financing and high quality and coverage of essential services,” said Hnin Hnin Pyne, Task Team Leader for the Programme. “It also helps strengthen engagement between public and private facilities and better coordination among development partners on future investments in health.”
The programme will benefit all communities through improvements to provincial primary health care systems, particularly in approximately 20 districts that suffer from having the least access to health and nutrition services.
The NHSP is co-financed by the International Development Association ($258 million) and two grants ($82 million) from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF), including a $40 million grant for protecting essential health services amid multiple global crises.
“The partnership between the GFF and the government of Pakistan focuses on building sustainable health systems while ensuring that all women, children and adolescents, especially in the most vulnerable communities can access the services they need amid multiple crises,” said Monique Vledder, Head of Secretariat, GFF.
“By investing in primary health care, strengthening the health workforce and equipping community health centres to both respond to emergencies and deliver quality services, Pakistan can drive a more equitable and resilient recovery.”
The project documents noted that over the next decade, Pakistan is projected to face a greater frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, such as heatwaves, river and coastal flooding, landslides, and drought, placing a greater disaster risk and health burden on the population, particularly on poor and other vulnerable groups.
These changes are expected to reduce the production of key food and cash crops and lead to higher temperatures, thereby increasing the risk of heat-related sickness and death. Changing temperature and precipitation patterns will also affect vector- and water-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and diarrhoea. Pakistan’s Climate and Health Vulnerability Assessment (CHVA) elaborates on the climate exposures and consequent health impacts.
The proposed NHSP will support part of the government’s programme by focusing on strengthening the PHC system to deliver quality essential health services and interventions in an equitable manner.
The PHC BP consists of priority essential services and interventions that focus on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and health education/communications.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Comments
Comments are closed.