KARACHI-Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and United Nations Resident Coordinator for Pakistan Neil Buhne discussed work of the UN in Sindh and how cooperation with the province government can be strengthened to benefit more people.
They focused on ways to provide more urgent assistance to those affected by drought, and how to reduce their vulnerability to future droughts.
Buhne complimented the chief minister on excellent work done in some localities in Sindh on reducing high prevalence of stunted growth, and on the need to expand that work to reach all vulnerable children. Buhne appreciated the leadership of the chief minister on the strong support to the polio eradication drive in Sindh, discussed the importance of eradicating polio virus, especially from urban areas, and the challenges of doing this. They discussed programmes to improve reproductive health of women and to slow population growth, to expand the reach and quality of education for children, efforts to reduce rural poverty, to improve water management, and actions to reduce the effects of climate change on people. Buhne appreciated the work of the CM to have Sindh meet the Sustainable Development Goals and offered UN support to link this closer to the policies and programmes of the provincial government to promote and implement pro-poor policies. He was joined at the meeting by members of the UN Sindh team.