Improvements in Pakistan's healthcare, and other news (26 Feb 2019)

From maternal healthcare in Pakistan to geothermal wells in Kenya

Every week we highlight some of the international development stories from across the globe that have caught our attention.

  • A new water supply, sanitation and waste management project has been launched in Welenchiti, Ethiopia as part of the ONEWASH Plus program. The project is funded by DFID alongside regional governments and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with federal government sectors. Read more in Bizcommunity (Africa).

     
  • Results of the 2017-18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey show major improvements in maternal healthcare and child survival rates, despite approximately one in 14 children not living beyond five years. Read more in The Express Tribune (Pakistan).

     
  • Remittances by Nigerians living abroad contributed $25 billion to the Nigerian economy in 2018, representing 6.1% of the GDP. This is the largest amount in the last 13 years and is 11 times the Foreign Direct Investment during the period. Read more in AllAfrica (Africa).

     
  • Malawi is to receive support from DFID to help tackle tax evasion and build effective tax systems to generate revenue for public service funding. Malawi is currently thought to be losing $86 million through profit shifting of multinational companies. Read more in AllAfrica (Africa).

     
  • The Government of Pakistan has declared that it will take all possible measures to end TB in Pakistan by 2030, following a UN meeting on tuberculosis control. The secretary for National Health Services has said that the government will increase its health budget, emphasising primary healthcare and preventive programs. Read more in The Frontier Post (Pakistan).

     
  • As part of the African Union Commission’s mandate to promote the development of geothermal energy sources in East Africa, a grant has been given by the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility to drill six wells in Baringo County, Kenya. Read more in Business Daily (Africa).

     
  • Through the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) poverty amongst senior citizens in Uganda has dropped by 19%. The scheme, launched in 2010 and funded by DFID, currently covers 61 districts and reaches 160,000 people, enabling them to access basic services. Read more in New Vision (Uganda).

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