Programme Overview 

Evidence for Health (E4H) is a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded programme aimed at strengthening Pakistan's healthcare system, thereby decreasing the burden of illness and saving lives. E4H provides technical assistance (TA) to the Federal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Punjab governments, and is being implemented by Palladium along with Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

Through its flexible, embedded, and demand-driven model, E4H supports the government to achieve a resilient health system that is prepared for health emergencies, responsive to the latest evidence, and delivers equitable, quality, and efficient healthcare services. Specifically, E4H delivers TA across three outputs:

Output 1: Strengthened integrated health security, with a focus on preparing and responding to health emergencies, including pandemics.

Output 2: Strengthened evidence-based decision-making to drive health sector performance and accountability.

Output 3: Improved implementation of Universal Health Coverage, with a focus on ending preventable deaths.

Background and Problem Statement

Accelerating the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the core objectives and key thematic areas of the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme in Punjab. Under SDG 3.8, UHC is considered the best investment in human capital and a foundational driver of sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development.

Despite the National UHC Service Coverage Index (SCI) improving from 39.7 in 2015 to 52.7 in 2022, according to Pakistan's UHC Monitoring Report 2023, only half of the country has access to essential health services. Considering the pace of progress, it will be challenging for Pakistan to achieve its commitment to reach an SCI of 80+ by 2030, as stipulated by SDG 3.8.1.  In Punjab, the SCI was 53.8 in 2022, slightly higher than the national average. Under the National Health Vision (2016-2025) and Punjab Health Sector Strategy (2019-2028), the provincial government finalised a UHC Benefit Package/Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) in 2021. Simultaneously, the Sehat Sahulat Programme was previously a pro-poor programme catering to people below specific markers of the proxy means test score, as determined by the survey conducted for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). However, in 2021, it was rolled out to 100% of the population in Punjab, contributing to the efforts of UHC. Later, the Government also tried to plug the EPHS implementation gaps at the community and Primary Health Care (PHC) level through government financing and partners' support, mainly through the World Bank (WB)'s National Health Support Programme (NHSP) and Human Capital Investment Project (HCIP). However, despite all these efforts, UHC implementation in the province has been grappling with serious challenges.

Objectives

• Working on improving the UHC SCI in Punjab with a focus on Primary Health Care (PHC).
• Coordinating and liaising with the STTA UHC implementation roadmap team to develop a roadmap aligned with the Department's 5-year HSRP and CM’s health sector priorities. This includes detailed action plans for each implementation phase, specifying resources and timelines.
• Establishing a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track progress towards UHC goals, assess the impact of interventions, and identify areas for improvement.
• Liaising with HISDU and the Data Governance embedded TA team to ensure that the Delivery Unit can pinpoint the required data markers.
• Providing timely and actionable feedback to the Secretary and conducting data analysis for monthly stocktakes.
• Liaising with international development partners engaged in all UHC-related activities to create synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Building the capacity of the Department to use data for evidence-based decision-making, performance and accountability.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Work under the immediate guidance of the Team Manager, contributing to the strategic planning and operational execution of the roadmap approach.
• Work towards financial, human, and administrative resource management that promotes transparency, efficient resource use, and effective results delivery in UHC implementation relating to NCD and ID.
• Oversee the collection and analysis of data related to UHC implementation, providing timely and accurate information for decision-making, policy formulation, and reporting purposes.
• Suggest capacity-building measures for healthcare providers, public health professionals, and community members to recognize, respond to, and prevent infectious diseases through training and education initiatives.
• Advocating for policies and investments that support infectious disease prevention and control efforts and raising awareness about the importance of public health measures in reducing the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases on individuals and communities.
• Supervise the workstream of Analysts. Diligently delegate tasks to Analysts to ensure the effective implementation of the roadmap and provide guidance and support to ensure efficient and effective delivery.

Timeline and LOE

The role is full-time for 5 months, from October 2024 to March 2025. The position will be based in Lahore and embedded in the Secretary Office at  Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

Reporting

The role reports to the Team Manager for the UHC Delivery Unit. 

Requirements

• BS/B.Sc. (Hons) in Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, or Public Policy
• 2-7 years of relevant experience in any well-reputed health national or international organization OR junior-level years of relevant experience.
• Proven ability to design clear and attractive presentations and other communication documents.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.
• Ability to multi-task and meet tight deadlines.