It is World Immunization Week and the global health community can celebrate the fact that a large share of the world’s children no longer suffer illness and death due to vaccine preventable diseases. However, the families of Pakistan still suffer greatly; children in Pakistan are less likely to have benefitted from the cost-effective intervention of […]
Only systems thinking can improve family planning program in Pakistan
At present, Pakistan ranks sixth among most populous countries; in spite of a long history of family planning programs since 1953. Yet it is difficult to claim any considerable reduction in the population growth rate. Total fertility rate is still high, contraceptive prevalence rate increasing slowly, and moreover there is a high unmet need, not […]
First day of life
Pakistan has the highest number of children that die during child birth or on the first day of life. Unfortunately, it is the top country in the world that’s been unable to meet security requirements for newborn babies, yet there is no official notice of this. According to the latest Save the Children report “Ending […]
Ending Newborn Deaths Report launched by Save the Children Pakistan Office
It is until just 28 days after birth that a baby is called a newborn and this is the most vulnerable period of a baby’s life. The recently launched global report of Save the Children “Ending Newborn Deaths: Ensuring Every Baby Survives” quotes some heartbreaking facts and figures about newborn survival worldwide as well as […]
Pakistan’s 2013 MDG Report: A reality check
Last month, the Planning Commission and the United Nations Development Project jointly released Pakistan’s Millennium Development Goals Report. The comprehensive report, fifth in its series was aimed at assessing Pakistan’s progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, documenting successes and challenges towards achieving these goals, galvanize for a final push and finally to help frame […]
Governance — Going granular
At the end of each year, analysts tend to review past performance of governments and sectors and whip forecasts and recommendations for the future. In doing so, they generally view things with a technical analytical lens where performance metrics, indicators and benchmarks come into play. Metrics matter deeply for performance with quantitative and qualitative data, […]
Governance in 2014
Part – I However, assessing governance effectiveness is a challenging task from an empirical standpoint and often information has its limitations in conveying the real impact of poor governance at the granular level – a level that can indicate the quantum of human suffering as a result. It is with a view to outlining this […]
Dr. Sania Nishtar’s speech from the International Anti-corruption Day Celebration at the Asian Development Bank
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, a very good morning. Let me begin by congratulating the Asian Development Bank for their focus on anticorruption and transparency. You need to be congratulated for observing this week so seriously, for the institutional arrangements and policy frameworks that have been put in place for the work that your missions […]
“Islamabad Health Equity Model” by Dr. Orooj Hasan
Genuine, professional and original data base along with an honest and sincere analysis is very rare in the developing world. Road maps for development, based on concocted data, infrequently achieve significant results. The book, “Islamabad Health Equity Model” is the first of its type on this specific theme in the entire region. It provides an […]
Butchers galore
Lying in a surgical unit of the Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar is an elderly woman with half her abdominal wall practically eaten away by infection – the outcome of a surgery carried out in a district hospital, which was mismanaged in the first place and became infected later. She has several gaping openings, through […]
