Japan gives grant for maternal, child healthcare

Islamabad : Japan has extended a grant of around $31.4 million (JPY 3,445 million) to Pakistan for maternal and child health care facilities.

Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between Ambassador of Japan MATSUDA Kuninori and additional secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Zulfiqar Haider here on Tuesday.

The grant agreement was later signed and exchanged between Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office FURUTA Shigeki and joint secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs Syeda Adeela Bokhari.

Under the project, a new maternal and child health center will be established at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro.

The centre will have the departments of obstetrics and paediatrics, including a labour room, an obstetrics ward, a neonatal intensive care unit, a maternal and foetal intensive care unit, a laboratory and outpatient consultation rooms. In addition, around 120 items of medical equipment including new-born incubators and ultrasonic diagnostic device are to be installed.

The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2024.

Ambassador MATSUDA said the provision of health and medical service is the most basic human necessities in every country across the world. Among them, women and children are still in a vulnerable position, which is reflected in the high maternal and infant mortality rate in Pakistan.

"Japan will continue to provide assistance that will directly benefit vulnerable people in Pakistan.” The same day, the notes were exchanged and grant agreement was signed for the project of the Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) for the start of the fourth batch of the project.

The grant is worth JPY312 million (approx. US$2.9 million), which allow maximum 20 Pakistan government officers to study in Japanese Universities to obtain Master’s or Doctoral degrees.

The purpose of JDS is to strengthen the government officers’ administrative capacity through the study in Japan and to build a solid friendship as well as diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan.