A Rs. 500 million agreement was signed between the Government of Pakistan, the Government of Italy and the Benazir Nahsonuma Program of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), for improving the overall health conditions of the children and pregnant and lactating women in the targeted districts of Balochistan covering Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar and Lasbella.
The agreement was signed under PIDSA (Pakistan Italy Debt Swap Agreement). The programme will facilitate 16,000 children under 2 years of age, by providing specialized nutritious food and taking care of immunization and regular health checks of mother and child in the above flood-affected districts of Balochistan.
The agreement was signed by Islam Zaib, Co-Director of PIDSA Pakistan, Pietro Del Sette, Co-Director of PIDSA Italy and Naveed Akhtar, Director General of Benazir Income Support Program. The signing ceremony was also witnessed by Dr Kazim Niaz, Secretary Economic Affairs Division and Roberto Neccia, Charge d’Affaires, Italian Embassy. The newly appointed Director Francesco Zatta, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation was also present on the occasion.
The Nahsonuma Programme’s objective is to prevent stunting in children under 2 years of age, improved weight gain of pregnant women during pregnancy, reduced anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, improved awareness of maternal and early child health and nutrition, reduced disease burden through improved uptake of available health and nutrition services, and prevention of low birth weight. The whole programme covers 156 districts of Pakistan through World Food Programme and Benazir Income Support Programme.
In addition to the above, a loan of 50 million Euros from the ECO Trade and Development Bank (TDB) has been signed and disbursed already. Further to it, an amount of 20 million Euros from German state-owned investment and development bank – KfW grant has also been secured for the same purpose. The instrument of financing is planned to be signed during G2G in Berlin in May this year. In addition to that, the French Development Agency (AFD) is also providing a grant of 45 million Euros for addressing the nutrition-related issues of the residents of the Newly Merged District (NMD) and four Southern districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is also in negotiations with other donor agencies to secure more funds to address the issues of nutrition and improve the overall health conditions of the children, and pregnant and lactating women in the disaster-affected areas of Pakistan.
