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ADB approves $100m to improve secondary healthcare in KP

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  • Programme aims to improve health services at secondary hospitals in KP, among other objectives.
  • ADB official says Pakistan faces unprecedented flooding, risk of waterborne diseases.
  • KP suffers from high infant and maternal mortality rates at 53 per 1,000 live births.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million results-based loan to help strengthen the quality of secondary healthcare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The programme will help improve the delivery of health services at secondary hospitals by modernising infrastructure and equipment, ensuring clinical protocols, standards, and guidelines are implemented and improving human resources planning and medicine supply chain management, said an ADB press statement received on Thursday.

“While the coronavirus placed an enormous strain on essential health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country, Pakistan now faces unprecedented flooding exacerbating the risk of waterborne diseases,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov.

“This programme will make a key contribution to improving the quality of secondary hospital services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and while it was conceived before the monsoon, it will also help people physically injured by the floods and support efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases,” Zhukov added.

According to the statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s health sector faces significant challenges, including outdated secondary healthcare facilities and equipment and inadequate quality assurance standards and processes.

The province suffers from high infant and maternal mortality rates, at 53 per 1,000 live births and 165 per 100,000, respectively.

“ADB’s assistance will help sustain health reforms started by the provincial government and strengthen the resilience of the health systems to future pandemics,” said ADB Senior Health Specialist for Central and West Asia Hiddo Huitzing.

“It will benefit an estimated 38 million people, including women in need of maternal healthcare services, and will also create jobs in the health sector,” Huitzing added.

Since 1966, ADB has committed over $37 billion in loans, grants, and other forms of financing to promote inclusive economic growth in Pakistan and improve the country’s infrastructure, energy and food security, transport networks, and social services.

In response to the floods, ADB is preparing a significant response package to support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term.

The bank has already approved a $3 million grant to fund the immediate purchase of relief goods such as food supplies and tents. ADB is also processing a separate counter-cyclical package to help Pakistan weather the impacts of external shocks.

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Gold prices in Pakistan approach an all-time high.

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Following a substantial surge the prior day, gold prices in Pakistan are ascending to unprecedented levels with an additional gain on Thursday, coinciding with a rise in global precious metal rates.

The price of 24-karat gold in the local market rose by Rs700 per tola, reaching Rs277,900, as reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

Likewise, the cost of 10 grams of 24-karat gold increased by Rs600, currently priced at Rs238,254.

Globally, gold prices exhibited an upward trend, increasing by $7 throughout the day. The APGJSA reports that the international gold price was $2,682 per ounce.

Notwithstanding the increase in gold prices, the silver market exhibited stability, with the price of silver maintained at Rs3,050 per tola.

In the previous month, gold prices in Pakistan reached an unprecedented high of Rs 277,000 a tola, driven by substantial gains in the worldwide market.

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A further relief shipment from Pakistan departs for Gaza and Lebanon.

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Following the Prime Minister’s directions, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) persists in delivering humanitarian assistance to the war-affected populations of Gaza and Lebanon.

The second cargo of supplies was sent from Karachi to Lebanon today.

The relief package, dispatched by the NDMA in partnership with the Al-Khidmat Foundation, consists of roughly 100 tons of provisions, including pharmaceuticals, ready-to-eat meat, tents, tarpaulins, thermal bedding, winter apparel, and powdered milk.

The assistance was sent by air from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi to Beirut, Lebanon.

The farewell ceremony at Jinnah International Airport was attended by representatives from the NDMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Al-Khidmat Foundation, and local authorities.

The delegates underscored the pressing necessity to deliver assistance to the war-affected populations of Palestine and Lebanon, in light of the continuing conflict and the requirements of the impacted communities.

They reiterated the Government’s dedication to assisting their compatriots in need and emphasized the significance of cooperation among welfare groups and the Pakistani populace in enhancing these initiatives.

This constitutes Pakistan’s twelfth aid shipment to Palestine and Lebanon. Previously, ten relief shipments were dispatched to Palestine.

The Government of Pakistan persists in dispatching relief supplies according to the need of the war-affected populations in Lebanon.

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Speech Made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister on the International Day Against Poverty

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In renewing our commitment to a world where no one is left behind and where possibilities for success are unrestricted by one’s origin or circumstances, Pakistan stands together with the global community on this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In addition to being morally right, ending poverty is essential to attaining sustainable development and guaranteeing everyone’s peace and prosperity.

The people have always been the center of every policy made by our government. We have significantly reduced poverty and made sure that our most vulnerable residents are taken care of thanks to our social safety net programs. We think that providing long-term routes to economic empowerment is equally as important as providing instant relief when it comes to assisting people in escaping poverty. Our focused initiatives seek to equip communities—women and children in particular—with the means to create better futures for themselves.

The Pakistani government is steadfast in its commitment to improving the affordability of living for its citizens despite the obstacles we face on a global scale, such as inflation and economic instability. Our policies are designed to build long-term economic resilience, from meeting housing needs to guaranteeing food security. With the help of programs like the PM Youth Business, Agriculture Loans, Digi-Skills, which offers free IT training, and the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, millions of families are receiving financial support and technological help that is changing their lives.

Eradicating poverty is also a top priority for Pakistan, which is still fully committed to reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a focus on inclusive growth, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, we will keep working together with our international partners to achieve these goals. The advancements made in empowering women and guaranteeing that their contributions are essential to the country’s social and economic fabric are another reason for pride.

On this day, I would want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who is devotedly striving to end poverty, both in Pakistan and globally. We can create a future where everyone, regardless of circumstances, has the chance to flourish and succeed by uniting with a shared purpose and unwavering determination.

I speak on behalf of the Government of Pakistan to reiterate our steadfast commitment to this cause and to extend an invitation to all facets of society to work with us to create a world that is more wealthy, just, and inclusive.

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