Global health security is foundational to international well-being, ensuring that societies can effectively prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. In Pakistan, Chemonics leverages over a decade of extensive project experience and deep-rooted government relationships at all levels to enhance health security. Pakistan has faced numerous natural disasters, health and humanitarian crises, and bears a significant brunt of the effects of climate change; here, global health security is not just a framework for action, but it is an imperative for survival.
Understanding Global Health Security
Global health security involves developing capacities worldwide to prevent, detect, and respond to threats like infectious diseases and the impacts of climate change. For Pakistan, improving health security means not only controlling outbreaks but also strengthening overall health governance and infrastructure to handle future threats efficiently.
Photo: Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, and the 12th largest city in the world, with a population of over 20 million.
Supporting Emergency Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chemonics-implemented USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project crucially stepped in to bolster Pakistan's healthcare emergency response. The project quickly pivoted to facilitate the delivery and distribution of critical medical supplies nationwide. Notably, GHSC-PSM coordinated the procurement and distribution of over 200 advanced ventilators to key healthcare facilities across the country, significantly enhancing the capacity of hospitals to provide life-saving care to critically ill patients. Alongside ventilators, the project also supplied thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment to protect healthcare workers on the front lines.
In response to the devastating floods in June 2022 that affected over thirteen million people in Sindh and Balochistan, the GHSC-PSM project, in coordination with local health departments, conducted a rapid assessment and provided critical health commodities. These included 5,000 Lady Health Worker (LHW) kits, 90 maternal, newborn, and child health packages, and 120 birthing stations to eleven flood-affected districts. This intervention significantly improved health service delivery, increasing child survival rates by 5% and providing essential health services to over 562,000 women.
Moreover, the deployment of four Mobile Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories has been a game-changer for Pakistan's diagnostic capabilities. Stationed strategically across Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore, these mobile labs enhance border surveillance and provide real-time testing at the epicenter of outbreaks. Each lab can perform over 1,000 real-time tests through PCR and GeneXpert machines within 24 hours, ensuring timely responses to health emergencies.
Strengthening Local Ownership of Health Systems
The Chemonics co-implemented USAID flagship private sector health project, Frontier Health Markets (FHM) Engage, is working with the Sindh Healthcare Commission to integrate family planning and youth-friendly services standards into their licensing system for private healthcare providers. This initiative, coupled with the development of a digital accreditation system, simplifies maintaining quality standards among healthcare providers across Pakistan. Chemonics embraces a strategy of "centralized decentralization", empowering local stakeholders to identify and solve their unique health challenges. By working closely with local and national agencies, like the Sindh Healthcare Commission, and integrating family planning and youth-friendly services into healthcare standards, Chemonics supports the strengthening of Pakistani health systems. This approach not only aligns with national efforts but also ensures sustainable improvements in health service quality.
A doctor speaks to women at a fertility clinic in Karachi. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
A woman holds a prescription for folic acid after consulting with a lady health worker in Sukkur. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
A doctor talks to a patient at a fertility clinic in Karachi. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
Building Resilient Health Infrastructure
The GHSC-PSM project has also played a transformative role in strengthening health infrastructure across Pakistan, focusing on enhancing supply chain systems and health information technology for greater health security. One of the project’s key achievements includes the development and implementation of the Pakistan COVID-19 Logistics Management Information System (LMIS), which enabled efficient management and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the country. Furthermore, GHSC-PSM has upgraded storage facilities, implemented state-of-the-art inventory management systems, and trained health workers in modern logistics practices, all of which contribute to a more robust and responsive public health system. These efforts ensure that Pakistan is better equipped to manage not only current health challenges but also future public health emergencies.
Advancing Technology and Innovation
Technology plays a transformative role in modern healthcare. GHSC-PSM has introduced advanced health information systems across Pakistan, facilitating better data management, enhancing diagnostic capabilities, and ensuring efficient resource distribution. As an implementing partner of the Building Healthy Families Activity (BHFA), Chemonics helped to roll out the Electronic Client Records (ECR) system in health facilities throughout Sindh. This marks a significant advancement in healthcare management. The ECR system has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) in Pakistan, who are pivotal in strengthening the nation’s global health security. The LHWs use the ECR technology to meticulously manage and update patient data. Accurate and timely data collection by LHWs aids in community surveillance and to track vaccination coverage and maternal health metrics, key components in reducing disease transmission and improving community health resilience. Additionally, FHM Engage has established public-private dialogue platforms, enhancing collaboration and data sharing to improve health services.
Lady health workers consult with women in the Pir Murad Shah Colony. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
Lady health workers speak with a client about her children and pregnancy in Sukkur, Pakistan. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
A lady health worker visits a client and enters relevant data into a digital tablet. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
Lady health worker visits a client and her 1-month-old son to check up on his vaccinations in Sukkur, Pakistan. Photo Credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International
Fostering Long-Term Health Security through Community Engagement
Chemonics recognizes that Pakistan’s health security begins at the community level and requires a comprehensive understanding of the interconnections between human health, animal health, and the environment. Our work addresses the broader spectrum of global health security, and the ultimate goal of these initiatives is to establish a sustainable framework for health security that will endure beyond immediate crises. This involves policy advocacy, community engagement, and continuous improvement of healthcare practices, all aimed at creating a self-sufficient health system in Pakistan. Engaging various stakeholders, including government regulators and private health providers, has been crucial for developing a sustainable health market in Pakistan, particularly for family planning services.
Through strategic interventions and robust collaborations, Chemonics is setting new benchmarks for global health security in Pakistan. By addressing immediate health needs and laying the groundwork for a healthier future, our projects demonstrate the power of proactive and comprehensive health management, ensuring a secure health future for all Pakistanis.
Cover Photo: A doctor looks at a patient who has an implant for contraception at a health center in Sukkur, Pakistan. Photo credit: Saiyna Bashir/Chemonics International