US announces two new health projects for KP, FATA

The U.S. Mission to Pakistan has announced to construct two new health projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

The projects including construction of burn, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery Centre in Peshawar and to improve maternal and child health across seven districts of KP and six Fata agencies, costing over rupees three billion.

A spokesman for the US Consulate said, U.S. Agency for International Development Deputy Mission Director Kevin Brownawell and Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khan Khattak today joined in launching the new projects at a ceremony held here Tuesday.

“USAID has a long history of development assistance to Pakistan and the FATA/KP region programme is a cornerstone of USAID's development portfolio in the country,” said Brownawell. “We are proud of our strong relationship and the results it has achieved over the years. Our development assistance is helping the KP government promote long-term, sustainable development in the province.”

“Our government gives great importance to collaboration with the United States to promote health initiatives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said. “Working together we can improve quality and access to health services, which is one of today's critical requirements.”

“We look forward to carrying out both these projects with our Pakistani government partners and the community to save lives and improve the health of Pakistani families,” said U.S. Consul General Raymond McGrath.

The 120-bed Burns Center will include a Reconstructive Surgery Unit and will provide state-of the-art services locally to the patients who currently require emergency travel to the closest facility in Kahrian, Punjab, some 250 kilometers away. The project was suspended for almost seven years before USAID vowed to support it.

USAID's KP-FATA Health Initiative will train lady health workers and community midwives, provide support to existing public health institutions to improve services and also support health outreach to far flung areas through mobile health units.