Sindh Govt, USAID partner to save lives of women, children

USAID Mission Director for Pakistan John Groarke, and Sindh Health Secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo and Population Welfare Secretary Muhammad Saleem Raza signed the MoU.

According to a press release by US Consulate General, USAID will work with the Sindh Government to provide more Pakistani families with maternal, newborn and child health services as well as integrated family planning to reduce maternal and child deaths under the agreement.

“The MCH Program hopes to provide at least 80 percent of families across 15 districts of Sindh with quality health-care services”, the release read.

The U.S. Consul General in Karachi Brian Heath was also present on the occasion. He said that the United States has supported Pakistan in improving the accessibility and quality of health-care services available to ordinary Pakistanis for the past 50 years.

“The main goal of the Maternal and Child Health Program is to dramatically reduce maternal and infant illness and mortality. This includes working together to reach ambitious targets, such as decreasing the newborn mortality rate from 54 to 50 deaths per 1,000 live births”, Heath said.

Sindh Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar acknowledged USAID’s support to improve health services in Sindh.

“Together, we can improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in Sindh. Together, we can develop key policies and programs to deliver high-quality health services to populations that need them”, Groarke said.