Successful implementation on health related SDGs key to improve health services

Strengthening institutional networks and capacities would play key role in successful implementation of health related SDGs.

The failure in achieving MDGs should be taken as lesson learned opportunity and hence, to be forward looking by identifying and redressing the gaps in implementation so that health services could be improved across Pakistan.

The speakers including experts in health sector and academia said this while speaking at ‘Stakeholders Consultation on Health related SDGs’, organized by Sustainable development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Thursday.

The consultative meeting was attended by the representatives from relevant government departments, academia, research institutions, think tanks, and NGOs/ CSOs.

Zafar ul Islam, Project Director SDGs Unit, Planning Commission, terms lack of monitoring and mechanisms to measure the progress as one of the major factors behind the failure in successful implementation on MDGs.

He said that government of Pakistan had now developed the networks from provincial to districts and then to grassroots level whereas private sector, think tanks and CSOs were also included in the implementation process to make inclusive at every level.

Dr. Babar Tasneem Shaikh, representing Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) on the occasion said that the federal government was lending it's all out support to provinces, especially in terms of expertise to achieve the targets set under health related SDGs.

Shafqat Munir, from SDPI, in his opening remarks earlier said that building resilience of communities would be imperative to achieve the desired targets on health related SDGs. He said that it was the only viable option to achieve rest of the global development agenda as well.

Saadiya Razzaq, Senior Research Associate from SDPI, earlier said that Health was not only an important determinant of economic and social prosperity of a country but it was also a central point for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, she said, it would be appropriate to view health as the heart of efforts related to achieving SDGs.

Brig, Rizwan Ullah Asghar, Dr. Anis Kazi. Dr. Naeem uz Zafar and Dr. M Safi also covered the diverse aspects of the health related SDGs. The speakers said that political will would play a key role in carrying out the SDGs.