Capacity building: UNICEF, govt sign $37m agreement

LAHORE:

The government signed a $37 million agreement with the UNICEF on Wednesday to provide technical support to enhance the capacity building of administrative departments.

Planning and Development Board Chairman Irfan Elahi and senior UNICEF representative in Pakistan Angela Kearney signed the agreement. Under the programme, the UNICEF will provide technical assistance to the government for implementation of the multiple year work plan 2015-17.

The programme will focus on supporting the government in the improvement of maternal and child health services, improvement in sanitation, addressing stunting and malnutrition among children, reducing child mortality, polio eradication, emergency preparedness and response with a key focus on disaster risk reduction and promotion of education for all; focusing on the marginalised and disadvantaged populations; and improving the quality of life of women and children. The programme will continue from July 2015 to December 2017.

Elahi said earlier, the Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation project partnership with the UNICEF had improved the sanitation situation in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2015.