Lending Operations Incorporating Gender: Health

PAKISTAN: Sindh Baluchistan  Health Program Project
 

 
Description:

 This project aims to support the government's programs in Sindh Baluchistan Areas to improve health status of the population, with the specific objective of reducing infant and maternal mortality, and an associated reduction in fertility. The areas which will be covered by the proposed project are particularly poor and under-served, and suffer from high maternal and child mortality as well as a large disease burden from infectious and communicable diseases, combined with high fertility. 

Gender Action/Components:
The project is aimed primarily at women and their children, who bear a disproportionate share of poverty and preventable disease. At the primary health care level, it will strengthen Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and family planning services including the posting of additional female paramedical staff. At the referral level, it will provide essential equipment and communication systems to upgrade capacity to treat emergency cases, especially women with pregnancy complications. Project support includes the upgrading of female paramedical schools. 

Mechanisms:

Institutional Strengthening 

 

A project component focussing on Strengthening Health Services will upgrade existing services and facilities to a fully operational but basic level. At the primary level, it will strengthen MCH and family planning services. Additional female paramedical staff will be recruited, the communicable disease control programs will be improved, health education and nutrition services will be improved , and minimal equipment, supplies and staff for all facilities will be ensured. Civil works will be upgraded, and at the referral level, essential equipment and communication systems will be provided to upgrade capacity to treat emergency cases, especially women with pregnancy complications. For both levels, improved transport and communications will be provided. The project will also assist in phasing out existing military support to the civilian health services. A Management and Organizational Development component aims to increase the implementation capacity of the Departments of Health and NGOs. A Human Resource Development component will place emphasis on increasing the numbers of female paramedical staff and community-based workers trained in MCH and family planning. A training plan has been developed for each region and all training will be a joint government-NGO undertaking, especially in NA. Project support includes the upgrading of female paramedical schools, the establishment of three small in-service training facilities, and the costs of a wide variety of courses.

 

Participation 

A central element of the project is the development of a partnership between the government, NGOs, and the communities. The project was prepared by the government and the NGOs with the help of Pakistani consultants and beneficiary representatives. The project will support the expansion of small NGOs through a new NGO Fund. This component will strengthen and expand existing NGO services, add new NGO services, and introduce community and NGO involvement to existing government services. Since NGOs are more developed in SB than in Sindh Baluchistan , the SB program focuses on developing the health activities of existing community organizations, while that in Sindh Baluchistan concentrates on helping to establish community organizations. In both regions, the proposed project will support the expansion of small NGOs through a new NGO Fund and the expansion of three well-established programs run by large NGOs.

Indicators 

Reduce infant and maternal mortality by about 30 percent.