ADB approves $100 million to uplift KPK’s health sector

MANILA — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday approved a $100 million results-based loan to help strengthen the quality of secondary health care in northwestern Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The program will help improve the delivery of health services at secondary hospitals by modernizing infrastructure and equipment; ensuring clinical protocols, standards, and guidelines are implemented; and improving human resources planning and medicine supply chain management, the regional bank said in a press release.

“While the coronavirus placed an enormous strain on essential health services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country, Pakistan now faces unprecedented flooding exacerbating the risk of waterborne diseases,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov.

“This program will make a key contribution to improving the quality of secondary hospital services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. And while it was conceived before the monsoon, it will also help people physically injured by the floods and support efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases.”

ADB highlighted that health sector in the prince faces significant challenges including outdated secondary health care facilities and equipment, and inadequate quality assurance standards and processes. The province suffers from high infant and maternal mortality rates, at 53 per 1,000 live births and 165 per 100,000, respectively.

ADB Senior Health Specialist for Central and West Asia Hiddo Huitzing said that the loan will benefit around 38 million people by uplifting the health sector.

In response to the floods, ADB is preparing a significant response package to support people, livelihoods, and infrastructure immediately and in the long-term. The bank has already approved a $3 million grant to fund the immediate purchase of relief goods such as food supplies and tents. ADB is also processing a separate countercyclical package to help Pakistan weather the impacts of external shocks.