Press Release

5 October 2006

UK promises £90 million to cut deaths of pregnant women and young children in Pakistan

Gareth Thomas, International Development Minister, today announced £90 million in new funding to help save the lives of at least 30,000 women and 100,000 babies in Pakistan over the next five years, in the capital Islamabad.

Gareth Thomas, who is visiting Pakistan in the run up to the one year anniversary of the earthquake, said:

“A woman in Pakistan is 120 times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth in her lifetime than a woman in the UK. For poor women the risk is even higher.

“The UK is contributing to this new Pakistan led initiative to train more community based midwives, provide better family planning services and have skilled staff who can safely deliver babies in an emergency in all district hospitals.

”We hope that the Government of Pakistan will also invest in the programme so that in five years’ time, we will have helped save the lives of more than 30,000 women and 100,000 babies and ensured 10 million families across Pakistan are healthier than they are today.”

Funding from the Department for International Development for the nationwide Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programme will depend on the Government of Pakistan allocating at least £123 million of the overall £245 million cost of the initiative.

UK support will be focused in the provinces of Punjab and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) which account for two thirds of Pakistan’s estimated population of 165 million.

Between 2006-2011, this support, together with expected investment from the Government of Pakistan and other development partners, is expected to save the lives of at least 30,000 women and 100,000 babies, prevent serious ill health and disability for 3.5 million women, and improve the health and quality of life of 10 million families across the whole of Pakistan.

DFID’s expected contribution of £90 million over five years will fund 28 per cent of the total cost of providing:

  • emergency child birth and newborn care in all district hospitals in Pakistan
  • 15,000 skilled staff trained in delivering children in emergencies, newborn care, childhood illness and family planning
  • family planning services available at 80 per cent of first level health care facilities
  • a new generation of community midwives – 10,000 to be trained by 2010 (in order to meet a 2010 target of 70 per cent of births attended by skilled birth attendants, and work towards a 90 per cent target by 2015)
  • direct information about improving maternal, newborn and child health by informing families of the benefits of such issues as nutrition during pregnancy and raising awareness about the health benefits of family planning, and
  • more effective management systems in provinces and districts, including strategic partnerships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses.

While the complications that cause maternal and newborn deaths are often difficult to predict or prevent, most can be treated relatively cheaply. Risks can be further reduced by access to family planning and other reproductive health services.

Notes for editors

1. The National Maternal, New Born and Child Health (MNCH) Programme aims by 2011 to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to 200 per 100,000 live births (from 350-500) and neonatal mortality rate to less than 40 per 1000 live births (from 54) in line with the UN’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. If successful, it will also avert serious ill health and disability for about 3.5 million women, and improve quality of life for about 10 million families by providing better access to MNCH services. By reducing the economic burden of poor health, and raising women’s status, it will help meet MDG targets on poverty and gender equality. By improving child health, the support will also help meet MDG targets on communicable diseases, hunger and education.

2. £90 million will support 40 per cent of the £219 million cost of necessary and feasible scale up of MNCH interventions in DFID’s two focal provinces of Punjab and NWFP – and hence DFID would be responsible for 40% of any improvements in maternal and neonatal health in those provinces.

3. The total cost of scaling up is estimated at approximately £245 million. The Government of Pakistan is asking partners to support 50 per cent of the remaining costs. DFID’s proposed financial aid will provide £69 million (with a further £21 million for technical assistance, advocacy and research).

4. The Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) (2005) estimate current public sector health spending in Pakistan of US$6.4 per person per year. To bring this to the US$30 per person recommended by the WHO for a basic package of health services would cost approximately US$2.5 billion in Punjab and NWFP alone.

5. Gareth Thomas is MP for Harrow West in London. He is visiting Pakistan from 4-5 October during which time he will travel to earthquake affected areas and speak to community groups, NGOs and senior officials of the Government of Pakistan.

6. In the last three years DFID’s development assistance with Pakistan has increased substantially. This year DFID expects to spend around £100 million as part of a £236 million commitment between 2006-2008.

7. To find out more about DFID’s work in Pakistan please call the press office in London on 020 7023 0600 (24 hour number).

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