Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan with Bill Gates, SDG Action Zone (26 September 2019)

Summary

The SDG Action Zone hosts a discussion on a multi-sectoral anti-poverty program in Pakistan, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan and supported by the Gates Foundation. The initiative, Esta, focuses on nutrition, health, economic empowerment, and maternal care, aiming to achieve SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8. Panelists Dr. Sonia Ishtar and Bill Gates highlight the importance of digital financial inclusion, governance, and the role of partnerships in alleviating poverty and enhancing health outcomes.

Takeaways

• 📣 The SDG Action Zone event is moderated by Nadir Ajira, focusing on bringing the UN closer to the world and vice versa through the use of relevant hashtags.
• 🤝 A new partnership between the Gates Foundation and the Government of Pakistan is aimed at poverty alleviation, targeting SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8.
• 🇵🇰 The Gates Foundation has been working in Pakistan for over a decade, and the new initiative builds on existing efforts, especially in health and economic empowerment.
• 🌟 Dr. Sonia Ishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, highlights Prime Minister Imran Khan's personal drive and inspiration behind the new anti-poverty program.
• 🔑 The Ehsas program is an umbrella initiative with 134 policies and programs organized under four pillars, focusing on government equality, safety nets, jobs, and human capital formation.
• 💼 Dr. Ishtar is responsible for coordinating the program and executing two of the pillars, emphasizing the importance of governance and integrity in program execution.
• 📈 The program includes digital financial inclusion, aiming to reach the poorest with payments that encourage the use of mobile accounts and financial services.
• 🌐 Bill Gates discusses the importance of digital money in driving financial inclusion and the potential of the Ehsas program to achieve critical mass in this area.
• 🤔 Challenges include ensuring multi-sectoral collaboration within the government, engaging the private sector constructively, and overcoming capacity constraints.
• 📊 Success will be measured by the program's impact on consumption patterns, family welfare, and the overall economic status of the participants, with a focus on trust and confidence in the system.
• 🔗 The partnership is open to contributions from various sectors, including the Pakistani diaspora, with a portal for pledging support and ideas for involvement.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the SDG Action Zone event?

The main focus of the SDG Action Zone event is to discuss and explore partnerships for poverty alleviation in Pakistan, specifically the Ehsas program, and to bring the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life through collaborative efforts.

Who is Nadir Ajira and what is his role in the event?

Nadir Ajira is the moderator of the SDG Action Zone event, responsible for guiding the discussion and introducing the panelists.

What is the Ehsas program and how does it relate to the Gates Foundation's work in Pakistan?

The Ehsas program is an ambitious multi-sectoral anti-poverty initiative launched by the Government of Pakistan, focusing on nutrition, health, economic empowerment, and maternal and newborn child care. It aligns with the Gates Foundation's work in Pakistan, which includes improving health systems, vaccine coverage, and financial services, among other areas.

Who are the key panelists introduced in the script and what are their roles?

The key panelists are Dr. Sonia Ishtar, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, and Bill Gates, the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They are discussing the Ehsas program and their collaborative efforts in poverty alleviation.

What are the four pillars of the Ehsas program?

The four pillars of the Ehsas program are: 1) Making the government system work for equality and addressing elite capture, 2) Safety nets, 3) Initiatives centered on jobs and livelihoods for the poor, and 4) Human capital formation.

How does the Ehsas program plan to include the chronic poor in its initiatives?

The Ehsas program plans to digitally and financially include the chronic poor by providing 7 million women with bank accounts, mobile phone access, and access to 500 digital hubs in remote areas, along with tiered financing instruments for economic advancement.

What is the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Prime Minister Khan and Bill Gates?

The MOU signifies the official declaration of how the Government of Pakistan and the Gates Foundation will collaborate to alleviate poverty, outlining the framework and commitments of both parties.

How does the Ehsas program aim to improve governance and integrity in its execution?

The Ehsas program aims to improve governance and integrity by setting up a new ministry, creating a new digital payment system, establishing a governance and integrity policy, and hiring a new ERP and business intelligence mechanism to oversee executing agencies.

What are the challenges that the Ehsas program is working to overcome?

The challenges include the multi-sectoral nature of the program which requires collaboration among various government institutions, engaging the private sector constructively, and overcoming capacity constraints within the system.

What is the role of digital financial services in the Ehsas program?

Digital financial services play a crucial role in the Ehsas program by driving financial inclusion to critical mass, particularly for the poorest, and ensuring that payments and financial services are accessible and equitable.

How does the Ehsas program plan to involve the private sector and Pakistani expatriates in its initiatives?

The Ehsas program is creating a portal on the ministry's website called 'Pledge to Us' to encourage contributions from various partners, including technical expertise and financial support from Pakistani expatriates and the private sector.

What are the short-term and long-term measures of success for the Ehsas program?

In the short-term, success will be measured by the adoption of digital payments and the visibility of program expenditures. In the long-term, success will be evaluated by the impact on health behaviors, income growth, and the overall improvement in living standards, particularly for the disadvantaged populations.