Welfare Impact of the Lady Health Workers Programme in Pakistan

With the year 2015 fast approaching, Pakistan is not likely to achieve most of the health targets set in the Millennium Development Goals [Pakistan (2010)]. High levels of child and maternal mortality and child malnutrition are among the major health challenges facing the country. Along with this enhanced vulnerability for children and women there is also an economic divide in the society because these health challenges are more profound for the poor segment of the population than for the better off. Another divide is between the rural and urban populations due to concentration of health facilities in urban centres of the country. The high cost of dealing with health issues adversely affects the poor and rural population, lowering their productivity and limiting their lifetime achievements. Without substantially improved health outcomes it is impossible to break out of the cycle of poverty [OECD (2003)].