The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Aman Foundation have agreed to join together to work for the betterment of family health in Pakistan.

 

A five-year framework agreement on family planning and health in Pakistan was signed by Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Arif Naqvi, chairman Aman Foundation.

 

The two organisations will also explore further areas for collaboration to advance global health and development, a statement said. 

 

The maternal mortality rate in Pakistan is currently 276 per 100,000, and infant mortality at birth stands at 62 deaths per 1,000 live births. In light of these worrying figures, both Aman and the Gates Foundation have pledged to invest $5 million each to address the gaps in reproductive health and family planning services in Pakistan. 

 

Gates said: “This is a significant co-investment partnership for our foundation which leverages Aman’s on-the-ground knowledge in family planning and maternal and child health in Pakistan. It is also an example of the kind of smart partnerships that hold huge promise for the future. Investments in family planning have a transformational effect on the health and wealth of nations. “

 

“We will benefit from mutual learning, co-funding opportunities and the expertise of both an international and local civil society. The Aman Foundation’s innovative work in the health and education sectors will improve maternal and child health and family planning outcomes among women in under-served populations and specifically communities of Karachi," said Naqvi.

 

Recently, Aman Foundation participated in the London Family Planning Summit which was organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the British Government and UNFPA.  At the Summit, Aman Foundation was recognised as the only private organisation from the developing world to have committed substantial funds towards this cause.  

 

Aman Foundation was established in 2008 by Arif & Fayeeza Naqvi with a seed capital of $100 million. It is a social sector enterprise that aims to champion dignity and choice for the under-served throughout the Menasa region focusing on areas of health and education.  – TradeArabia News Service