The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved supplemental funding of $330 million for the improvement of social protection programs in Pakistan. This financing is in support of the Integrated Social Protection Development Program (ISPDP), which aims to reduce poverty in women and families.
Through results-based lending, this will enhance beneficiaries under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), making a transition to adaptive and climate-resilient social protection, mainly improving access to education for poor children and youth with increased health services for disaster-prone communities.
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According to Yevgeniy Zhukov, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia, the program serves to equalize intergenerational poverty with the developed human capital: “most importantly,” he said, “it will ensure that women, who bear the brunt of economic hardships, will benefit.”
Launched in December 2021, the ISPDP is backed by a $600 million loan, an Asian Development Fund grant of $3 million, and a $24.48 million co-financing grant from the Education Above All Foundation. The program has been functional since 2022 and noticeable improvements in access have been made in terms of education and health services.
The program was also successful in improving financial management, procurement practices, and BISP’s information system, underlined Emma Fan, ADB Country Director for Pakistan, who said the program greatly enhanced access to education and health services for women and girls.