Date: Tuesday, September 13th, 2016
Health sector reforms compromised
Pakistan lacks in providing access to quality healthcare and education to a huge chunk of its population and the severity of the situation increases as one delves deeper into rural areas. In such a situation, reforms and efforts to provide healthcare in rural areas becomes a welcome move. However, when one hears that the World Bank-funded health reforms project in the ruling party’s stronghold, Punjab, will see a cut in its loan portfolio, eyebrows are raised in surprise and disgust as the major reason for the reduction in the amount of the loan is the slow pace of implementation of the reforms by the Punjab government. When it comes to providing basic needs to the citizenry every penny should count towards a meaningful end.
That is not the case here as showcased by the government’s skewed priorities. The World Bank termed work on the healthcare reforms project “moderately satisfactory” and attributed frequent administrative changes and slow progress as the reason behind its intended move to cut the loan by $20 million. The amount may just be a little over 15 per cent of the overall portfolio of the project, but when a country — that has already fared poorly in health sector reforms — faces a cut in finances, the most neglected areas suffer the most. Ironically, these are the areas that are most in need of reforms. But development that is politically-driven has ensured that its effects do not reach all areas. The 18 districts that are set to be affected by the loan reduction are already in severe need of quality health services. One can’t help but wonder the point of such programmes when, despite having the finances, the country has been unable to satisfy its citizenry. The argument that the government won’t know what to do with the money even if it had it holds all too well here. Ironically, this is the argument tax evaders use to justify their unwillingness to pay their due share of taxes. Pakistan has long suffered due to incompetent and corrupt officials. While debt keeps piling on, meaningful progress on most fronts remains missing. One can only hope that healthcare and education are prioritised, but it seems like the government is only focusing on energy projects and that too, for a few select areas.
Syria ceasefire
Two principal players in the Syrian war theatre have at long last cut a temporary ceasefire deal. The agreement between the US and Russia was announced by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov after gruelling talks in Geneva. While this deal, which stipulates pause in fighting from Monday night so as to allow humanitarian aid to flow, suddenly creates a sense that perhaps cessation of hostilities may just be possible, such euphoric assessment will be highly misplaced. Even the two protagonists sponsoring this latest truce were cautious in describing the accord, going only so far as to say that it was a possible “turning point” after over five years of a brutal war that has killed more than 400,000 and driven millions from their homes, touching off a humanitarian crisis of spectacular proportions. Previous attempts by world powers to broker peace in Syria have been marred by wrangling false starts and eventual failure.
But this latest agreement is significant in one aspect. It involves two key players whose goals hitherto in their separate bombing campaigns have been at cross-purposes, with Russia — in tandem with Iran — doing every bit to prop up the Assad regime and the US aiding militias to pull the rug from under the discredited leader. How this new alignment will play itself out, only time will tell. But while a permanent end to war at this stage is a distinct impossibility, a temporary halt will at least put much-needed balm on the tortured souls of Syrians. Under the seven-day truce, the Syrian army will be required to relax its hold on Aleppo allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered while rebels would stop fighting around government areas. If the ceasefire holds, the Russian and US military would start planning joint air operations against extremist groups, including IS and al-Nusra Front. If everything goes according to script, it could eventually lead to start of negotiations among all stakeholders. But a lot will need to go right for this to happen.
Fight against polio
Long before Pakistan became the centre of world attention due to the war on terrorism, it was known as one of the few places left on earth where polio was still a prevalent disease. In recent years, the fight against polio has seen major obstacles in the form of militancy and violence directed against polio vaccinators. Attitudes of many sections of the population have also hindered anti-polio campaigns with many being against the administering of polio drops to their children based on a medieval, regressive mindset. Unfortunately for us, the fight against polio became mixed up with the fight against terrorism when it was used as a front by the CIA to carry out the search for Osama bin Laden. Since then, health workers who have been doing house to house rounds to vaccinate children have become easy targets for extremist elements. Most recently, Dr Zakaullah Khan, a senior member of the anti-polio drive in Peshawar, was shot and killed on September 11 near his home and the militant group Jamatul Ahrar has claimed responsibility for his death.
Dr Zakaullah’s death is a tragedy for all those health workers across the country who continue to carry out inoculations despite the continued threats that they must face. It is also a tragedy for the rest of Pakistan as each one of these attacks slows down the efforts to eradicate polio. Our children remain at risk for contracting a crippling disease because it has become the face of a different war. This attack also shows that militant activity in Pakistan is very much alive and rears its ugly head from time to time despite the efforts to fight it with there being an upsurge in terror attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The efforts of all those who continue to fight the good fight against the twin evils of polio and terrorism must be applauded. It is also hoped that their sacrifices will yield results soon and will not be forgotten.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2016.