Tando Allahyar Health Model Reaches Two-Year Milestone in Sindh
AKU, Sindh’s Health Department and partners review two years of reforms and discuss expanding essential care across rural districts.
Officials and health workers review two years of healthcare reforms in Tando Allahyar.
KARACHI, September 16, 2026 — Aga Khan University (AKU), the Sindh Department of Health and the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) have marked two years of the Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) programme in Tando Allahyar.
The partners held a province-wide symposium at AKU on September 15. Government officials, development partners and frontline health workers attended the event. Representatives from 13 districts across Sindh also joined the discussions.
The health services programme uses Tando Allahyar as its pilot district. The district has nearly one million residents, with about 78 percent living in rural areas. The EPHS model provides 62 interventions through community, primary and first-level hospital facilities.
Digital Reporting Expands Across the District
Tando Allahyar became the first district in Sindh to introduce daily digital health reporting through DHIS2 and electronic medical records (EMR).
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The programme has also trained more than 55 health facility staff in digital reporting. An increasing number of the district’s 55 facilities now submit information in real time.
The digital system aims to improve access to timely information. It can also help health authorities monitor services and identify gaps across facilities.
Newborn Care Capacity Improves
The programme also established a Specialized Care Nursery at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Tando Allahyar.
Nine specially trained doctors, nurses and technicians staff the facility. The nursery has introduced newborn intensive care capacity that the district did not have before.
The initiative has also strengthened clinical skills among frontline workers. Nearly 500 Lady Health Workers have received training on clinical guidelines under the programme.
Surgical Services Gain General Anaesthesia Facility
Tando Allahyar’s DHQ Hospital has also introduced General Anaesthesia services for the first time in its history.
The new service has expanded the hospital’s ability to conduct surgical procedures. Almost 30 percent of procedures now take place under General Anaesthesia.
Hospital authorities previously did not offer this service in the district. Its introduction represents another expansion under the EPHS pilot.
Sindh Seeks a Sustainable Model
Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho called for the programme to move beyond the pilot district.
She stressed the need for a model that can continue after individual projects or external support ends. She also highlighted sustainability as an important part of future expansion.
The symposium examined how Sindh could apply lessons from Tando Allahyar in other rural districts.
Experts Discuss Scaling the Programme
Technical sessions examined clinical guidelines covering all 62 EPHS interventions. Teams translated the guidelines into Urdu, English and Sindhi.
Participants also reviewed service costs and initiatives designed to influence provider behaviour.
The district has completed Public Financial Management training as part of the programme. Service Coverage Index surveys have also provided data for future planning.
Organisers said these activities can support accountable and evidence-based expansion across Sindh.
Lessons for Universal Health Coverage
Dr Sameen Siddiqi, Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at AKU, said the two-year implementation had produced lessons in several areas.
These included staff training, capacity building, digital information systems, community engagement and service costing.
He said the experience could guide implementation in other districts of Sindh and across Pakistan. He also described collaboration among stakeholders as a way to address continuing gaps in essential care and support progress towards Universal Health Coverage.
Development Partners Join Symposium
The symposium also featured remarks from Dr David Wilson of the Gates Foundation and Javed Jagirani, CEO of PPHI Sindh.
Representatives from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the US State Department and the Sindh Department of Health also participated.
The partners reviewed the progress achieved during the pilot’s first two years. Discussions focused on using the lessons from Tando Allahyar to strengthen essential healthcare delivery in other rural districts.
