PESHAWAR, June 4: Health authorities changed strategy for the implementation of the donor-driven projects in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to achieve maximum results, sources said.

“We have million of dollars pledged by the foreign countries for the improvement of health indicators, but growing militancy hampered our plans.

This year, we have brought about drastic changes in implementation of the interventions in line with the traditions of tribal areas,” officials said.

They said that $11.5million had been pledged by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve mother and child health care in the seven tribal units and six Frontier Regions. The huge amount, they said, could fetch better result provided it was used in consultation with the local community.

The amount would be spent over a period of five years during which provision of medical equipment besides construction of buildings and training of health professionals would be accorded priority.

“We have decided to involve community in the projects at planning, implementation and monitoring level. There will be need assessment surveys in all areas before interventions to utilise the amount to get maximum benefits,” they added.

The German government has already started implementation of TB directly-observed treatment short (DOTS) course in Fata and FRs through its technical agency GTZ. It would spend one million euros over a period of two years during which data, diagnosis and treatment would be carried out.

“We have asked the donor organisations to desist from holding workshops and seminars and capacity building programme because such events not only create suspicion in the mind of tribesmen, but the amount, which could have been spent on putting in place facilities, goes down the drain,” they added.

Pakistan Initiative for Mother and Newborn (PAIMAN), which is supporting Safe Motherhood in 24 districts of Pakistan since 2005, is also incurring $4 million in Kurrum and Khyber agencies besides FR Kohat and FR Peshawar over a period of two years to reduce the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).

Medicines Sans Frontier, an Amsterdam-based organisation, has been providing mother and child health services in tehsil headquarters hospitals Sadda and Alizai of Kurrum Agency for two years. The organisation has been asked to take into account the needs of both sects there to avoid any conflict. The MSF, the sources said, was spending an amount of $500,000 per year.Pakistan Red Crescent Society will pump Rs5 million to improve the disaster management in Fata. It would be giving training to professional persons on emergency preparedness to cope with floods and other natural calamities.