Poverty reduction journey facing economic slowdown
Islamabad : Pakistan’s impressive journey to reduce poverty in the last two decades is currently facing the risk of a protracted economic slowdown, or worse, a reversal in development gains due to the impact of COVID-19.
This was stated in a detailed report on ‘Covid-19 and Disaster Vulnerability in Pakistan: A Human Rights Based Analysis’ launched by the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan, on Wednesday.
The report terms Pakistan government’s health response to a global pandemic as impressive. “However, the unprecedented nature of the virus and Pakistan’s historic weaknesses in the health sector have highlighted some areas that require considerations through a human-rights lens,” it mentions adding that strengthening Pakistan’s health system requires a strategic reorganization of healthcare delivery consistent with community needs, and elevation of preventative and promotive healthcare strategies.
The report presents a comprehensive framework to analyse and strengthen Pakistan’s official response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It says that while there is no denying the fact that COVID-19 is primarily a health emergency, efforts required to control the virus have led to an economic and social crisis, which if not effectively addressed can lead to a human rights crisis.
The report analyses Pakistan’s national Covid-19 response according to the eight key thematic priority areas identified by the UN Secretary General in April 2020 Guidance Note, “COVID-19 and Human Rights: We are all in this together”.
These priority areas are health; livelihoods and unemployment; education; food; security; gender-based violence; child rights protection; refugees and migrants; and prisons and detention centres. The report outlines government initiatives in each thematic area; gaps and opportunities; and rights-based recommendations to facilitate and ensure a human rights-based approach to Covid-19 and disaster vulnerability in Pakistan.
