Islamabad, 4 April 2023 (GNP): The Government of Italy and Benazir Nahsonuma Programme of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) signs a PKR 500 million Agreement. The purpose of the agreement is to work for the beterment of the overall health conditions of the children and pregnant and lactating women in the targeted districts of Baluchistan covering Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar and Lasbella.
The deal was signed under Pakistan Italy Debt Swap Agreement (PIDSA). By providing specialised nutritional meals, taking care of immunisation, and doing routine health checks on mother and child in the Baluchistan districts mentioned above that were hit by the floods, the initiative will assist 16,000 children under the age of two.
The Agreement was signed by Islam Zaib, Co-Director of PIDSA Pakistan, Pietro Del Sette, Co-Director of PIDSA Italy, and Naveed Akhtar, Director General of the Benazir Income Support Program.
Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division, and Roberto Neccia, Charge d’affaires, Italian Embassy, also attended the signing ceremony. Francesco Zatta, the recently appointed director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, was also there.
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The Nahsonuma Programme’s goals include preventing stunting in young children under the age of two, enhancing pregnant women’s weight gain, lowering anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies, raising public awareness of maternal and early child health and nutrition, lowering disease burden through increased use of the services that are available for nutrition and health, and preventing low birth weight. With the World Food Programme and the Benazir Income Support Plan, the entire programme reaches 156 districts in Pakistan.
In addition to the aforementioned PKR 500 million Agreement, a loan agreement for 50 million euros from the ECO Trade and Development Bank (TDB) has already been signed and disbursed. Also, a grant of 20 million euros from the German government’s investment and development bank, KfW, has been acquired for the same objective.
The finance agreement will reportedly be inked in Berlin during G2G this year in May. Also, the Newly Merged District (NMD) and four Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would get a grant of 45 million euros from the French Development Agency (AFD) to address nutrition-related concerns.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is also negotiating with the other donor organisations to obtain more funding to address the problems with nutrition and enhance the general health of children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers in Pakistan’s disaster-affected districts.