CM approves four-year health improvement plan
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has approved a four-year health improvement plan (2025-2029) focused on enhancing community outreach, strengthening routine immunisation efforts, and improving governance within the healthcare sector across the province.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting he chaired at his office where the key performance indicators of the Health Department were reviewed and targets were outlined to ensure universal access to quality and affordable healthcare services, with a particular focus on women and children.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Sindh Ombudsman Sohail Rajput, PSCM Agha Wasif, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, and Population Secretary Hafiz Abbasi.
The current routine immunisation coverage in Sindh stands at 69%. In an attempt to raise this figure to 95%, the government plans to recruit 5,500 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) by 2025-2026. They will be equipped with 5,250 medical kits and IT tools, including mobile phones with GPS tracking.
Moreover, 3,500 vaccinators and technical staff, such as Cold Chain Engineers and Software Engineers, will be hired. This initiative will be supported by the provision of 21,084 pieces of equipment, including temperature monitoring devices, fridge tags, mobile phones, SIM cards, and motorbikes. An important element of this plan includes the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, with a target of 2.8 million vaccinations by 2028-2029. This will be facilitated by enhancements in the cold chain system and waste management processes, which include the installation of solar energy solutions at 35 divisional centers.
CM Shah approved the establishment of 11 new Nutrition Stabilisation Centres (NSCs) and 714 additional Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) sites by 2025-2026. This project is designed to treat 1.24 million malnourished children under the age of five. The nutritional interventions will include the provision of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), as well as F-75 and F-100 supplements, alongside operational support for 17 stabilisation centres.
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