National Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) Programme in Pakistan

Pakistan’s Maternal and Child Health indicators remain extremely poor every year as 25,000 to 30,000 women die from complications of pregnancy and child birth. Millions more suffer ill health and disability. One million children die before the age of 5 while 16,000 die in the first month after birth. Pakistan is fully committed to the ICPD Goals and Targets, 1994 as well as Millennium Development Declaration 2000. The Government of Pakistan’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) identifies revival of economic growth and reduction of poverty as the twin challenges for Pakistan, and reaffirms its commitment to improve public service delivery through structural and programmatic reforms as a key strategy for achieving the MDGs.

Prior to 2005, Ministry of Health did not have a separate strategy on MNCH, as a result of which the maternal newborn and child health services were weak, insufficient and fragmented. The Ministry of Health established a cell in the Ministry in February 2005. After elaborate consultations with experts, professionals, development partners and provincial governments. The cell prepared MNCH policy and strategic framework which was presented in the Public Health Forum on 1 April 2005. The Prime Minister of Pakistan while endorsing MNCH Policy and strategy committed full support to the government of Pakistan for launching a comprehensive national MNCH Program based on the National strategy. As an out come of the forum the Islamabad Declaration on MNCH strategic framework was unanimously adopted on 2 April 2005 by all stake holders including the provinces and the development partners. All the partners pledged to align their activities in the field of MNCH for integration. DFID as an active member of the Technical Advisory Group and otherwise was one of the leading supporters of the program. After an exhaustive consultative process with the provinces and districts spanning over a period of more than one year the MCH Cell was able to bring out a consensus document PC-I on National MNCH Program.

Goals and Targets

National MNCH Program will essentially be implemented in 134 districts through their respective provinces. It will also be implemented in AJK, Northern areas, FANA and FATA. National MNCH Program aims at strengthening, upgrading and integrating ongoing interventions and introducing new strategies. The overarching goal of the program is to improve accessibility of quality MNCH services through development and implementation of an integrated and sustainable MNCH program at all levels of the health care delivery system. The program aims at functional integration of the ongoing maternal programs i.e. National Program for Family Planning, Primary Health Care, EPI, Nutrition, and National AIDS Control Programme. The salient feature of this program is that it adds on to what is already being done to achieve the MDGs and as such act as a catalyst to assist the ongoing initiative to fulfill the health related MDGs. The aim is not to displace or replace the current resources available for MNCH but to fill in the resource gaps where ever possible without duplicating inputs or activities.

Programme budget

Total Cost of the Program
Rs. 19,994.871 million

GoP Share
Rs. 12,404.871 million

DFID’s Contribution

Financial Support
Rs. 7,590.00 million

In Addition for Technical Assistance, Advocacy and Research
Rs. 2,310.00 million

Provincial / Regional Allocations

Federal
Rs. 1639.63 million

Punjab
Rs. 8088.62 million

Sindh
Rs. 3246.47 million

NWFP
Rs. 2770.92 million

Balochistan
Rs. 2642.94 million

AJK
Rs. 698.39 million

FATA
Rs. 434.48 million

NA
Rs. 473.42 million

Priority Areas of the National MNCH Program

•Comprehensive and integrated MNCH services at the district level.
•Community-based skilled Birth Attendants.
•Comprehensive Family planning Services at the Health Facilities.
•Advocacy and demand creation.
•Management and organizational reform.
•Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
Expected Outputs (2006-11)

•Improved access to high quality MCH and FP services

•Family planning services in all health outlets
•10,000 community skilled birth attendants
•Provision of comprehensive EmONC services in 275 hospitals
•Provision of basic EmONC services in 550 health facilities
•15,000 health facility staff trained and practicing IMNCI guidelines
•Provision of 24/7 child referral services in THQ and DHQ hospitals
•80% of the health facilities are well equipped and have essential drugs.
•Increased demand and utilization of MCH services especially by the poor.

•Building strategic partnerships to enhance the role of NGOs and private sector.

•Evidence based Program management and capacity building.

Programme contact details

National Programme Manager
Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) Program
Feroz Centre, Blue Area
Islamabad
Tel: (051) 9202289