Kate Somvongsiri, Mission Director for Pakistan at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), visited the metropolitan city on Saturday to strengthen partnerships with provincial leadership, counterparts in Sindh government and development partners.
The aim of the visit was to advance USAID's ongoing commitment to enhance lives and achieve mutual development objectives in Sindh. Within the framework of the US-Pakistan ‘Green Alliance’, USAID continues its collaboration with Pakistan to address climate, environmental, and economic challenges, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Accompanied by Consul General Conrad Tribble, Mission Director Somvongsiri held discussions with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to reaffirm USAID's support for development initiatives in Sindh. Conversations with Sindh Minister of Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Pechuho focused on ongoing partnerships in health, including successful interventions during crises such as COVID-19 and the 2022 floods.
USAID's longstanding partnership with the Sindh government spans various sectors, including education, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, clean energy, food security, economic advancement, and climate resilience.
During a visit to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), established with US assistance in collaboration with Indiana University in the 1950s, Tribble and Somvongsiri witnessed the impact of USAID-supported initiatives on maternal and newborn care.
Somvongsiri also interacted with female graduates who received USAID scholarships at the US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Water, a collaborative initiative established at Mehran University in partnership with the University of Utah. She engaged with a company dedicated to utilising artificial intelligence to improve agricultural practices, empowering farmers throughout the crop cycle—from seed to harvest.
Somvongsiri met the representatives from civil society and NGOs to gain insights into critical issues such as human rights, access to justice and information, with a focus on the empowerment of women, minorities, and marginalised communities.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2024.
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