Project Description
In December 2007, USAID/Pakistan awarded the project “USAID's TACMIL Health Project” to Abt Associates Inc. and its implementing partners. This is a two-year project whose main purpose is to provide technical assistance to the public and private health sector to improve health service delivery with a focus on maternal, reproductive and child health. The project will contribute to USAID’s Strategic Objective 7, “Improved health in vulnerable populations in Pakistan.” The project will also directly contribute to IR 7.1, “Improved quality and use of maternal, newborn, child and reproductive health services” and IR 7.2, “Improved administrative and financial management of primary health programs.”
The project has the following technical components:
Capacity Building:
a) Capacity Building of Midwifery and Nursing Professions
The purpose of the capacity building component is to build institutional capacity, increase sustainability, and improve the performance of services provided by selected organizations whose role in the health sector is critical to improved health outcomes for low income and vulnerable populations. Post-graduate nursing/midwifery institutions, the Nursing Council (NC) of Pakistan and the Midwifery Association of Pakistan (MAP) will be the main institutions receiving assistance in the area of capacity building efforts under this project. Primary activities will focus on developing a midwifery tutor specialization, strengthening administrative and governing capacity of the NC and MAP, training midwives, Lady Health Visitors and nurses to improve nursing and midwifery skills, and strengthening government capacity in health systems development and administration, by responding to federal, provincial or district government requests for expert help. The project will be able to provide limited technical assistance in some areas including: human resource planning and management, performance improvement and training, health management information systems (HMIS), sector planning, policy development, and others.
b) Developing Government capacity in Health Systems Development and Administration
The purpose of this component is to provide quality consultations for short-term health systems technical assistance in response to GOP requests and as directed by USAID in the following disciplines: human resource planning and management, performance improvement and training, health management information systems (HMIS), sector planning, policy development, health care financing, pharmaceutical management, logistics, research and other systems essential to service access and quality at all levels.
Targeted Health Information
The purpose of this component is to provide technical support to government officials and train journalists in using data for decision making, policy making, and general community awareness, including results from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS). The project will also work in twenty districts to raise citizens’ awareness and encourage them to advocate with government officials and with the private sector to provide quality health services.
Grants Program
The purpose of the grants component is to address health systems challenges in the public, private, or commercial sectors which can be resolved with modest grant assistance within a period of one year by concerted local effort of sub-grantees. The focus will be on public-private partnerships and innovation in addressing public health problems and health systems issues.
Strengthening of Essential Drugs and Contraceptive Logistical System
The purpose of this component is to strengthen the logistical system of essential medicines and contraceptives in the public sector at the national, provincial and district levels to ensure their availability throughout the country. This activity will work closely with USAID’s new family planning program, Family Advancement for Life and Health (FALAH). FALAH will be working with local government to strengthen logistics at service delivery points below the district level in facilities and with lady health worker supervisors.
Technical assistance will be provided in four areas including: 1. developing a computerized system to manage all aspects of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Population Welfare drug and contraceptive supplies from the national to the district level; 2. upgrading the current system for managing inventory; 3. strengthening the storage of supplies throughout all levels of the health system; and 4. establishing a system and providing training on forecasting supply needs.
In addition to these technical components the project will carry out monitoring and evaluation activities as a cross-cutting effort to assess and document the effectiveness of its actions.
