By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Friday recommended a Rs18.14 billion health project for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the country’s top economic body for final approval, aiming to strengthen primary care services for local communities and refugees.
The revised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project (health component) was cleared during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.
The initiative, to be managed by an independent unit under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department using World Bank procurement guidelines, will be funded through foreign aid. Spanning 13 districts, including Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, and Haripur, the project seeks to enhance access to and quality of primary healthcare services for both residents and refugees.
The CDWP also approved a Rs2 billion program to bolster the Common Management Unit for AIDS, TB, and malaria, aiming to unify national efforts to eliminate the three diseases by 2030, in line with Pakistan’s Sustainable Development Goals commitments. An Integrated Technical Support Unit will oversee surveillance, policy guidance, and capacity building to ensure a coordinated provincial response.
Reviewing an Asian Development Bank-funded STEM secondary education project for Punjab, Iqbal underscored the critical role of early childhood education in national and provincial policies. “The most productive investment in a child is in the early childhood development phase. If we fail at this stage, no amount of spending later can compensate,” he said.
Iqbal stressed that public school students have a right to quality science and computer labs, urging provinces to prioritize their provision to prepare a future-ready generation. He called for a gap analysis to identify union councils without girls’ high schools, insisting each council have at least one.
Despite education being a national priority, Iqbal noted that learning outcomes in public schools lag behind spending levels, advocating for strict accountability and recruitment of top talent to drive results.
The CDWP also reviewed a proposed Flood Disaster Prevention Master Plan and storm water storage system in Multan to address climate change challenges. Iqbal directed Punjab’s Planning and Development Department to prioritize wastewater and sewerage management, warning of escalating river and groundwater pollution.
“Our rivers and underground water are being polluted at an alarming rate. Provincial governments must prioritize wastewater management to protect human health and economic productivity,” he said.
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