KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday approved the extension of the Maternal and Child Support Programme (MCSP), being run by the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA), to seven additional districts, increasing its coverage to 22 districts.

According to officials, the expansion aims to improve maternal and child health by providing integrated healthcare services along with enhanced cash support to pregnant and lactating women.

The decision was taken during the second meeting of the SSPA board held at the CM House. Attendees included Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Special Assistant to the CM on Social Protection Sarfraz Rajar, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Chairman Planning and Development Najam Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, and Social Protection Secretary Muzamel Halepoto.

SSPA Chief Executive Officer Samiullah Shaikh briefed the participants on the current status of the programme being run in 15 districts.

Larkana, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jamshoro, Dadu and Naushahro Feroze join the list of 22 districts where scheme has been implemented

While granting approval for the extension, the chief minister stated that the initiative was part of the government’s strategy to improve maternal health, reduce poverty and empower women, particularly in rural Sindh.

Under the decision, the programme will now also cover Larkana, Sukkur, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jamshoro, Dadu and Naushahro Feroze. In addition, the cash support to pregnant and lactating women has been increased from Rs30,000 to Rs41,000, to be disbursed over a period of three years.

According to officials, this assistance is aimed at ensuring proper maternal nutrition, promoting regular health check-ups and encouraging safe deliveries.

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The programme is part of a broader Rs48.3 billion social protection initiative, of which Rs6.3bn is being contributed by the Sindh government.

Launched in January 2023, the programme is scheduled to continue until December 2027.

To date, 770,000 pregnant and lactating women have been registered at 800 health facilities across the province, including 740 centres operated by the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) and 62 health facilities run by the health department.

Eligibility criteria include being at least 18 years old, holding a valid Computerised National Identity Card and residing in the targeted districts.

The MCSP, officials say, is based on a conditional cash transfer model, linking financial support to key maternal health milestones such as antenatal visits, institutional deliveries and postnatal care. The goal is to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and ensure better health outcomes for both mothers and children in low-income, underserved communities.

Based on population data and birth rate projections, an estimated 2.6 million pregnant and lactating women will live in the intervention districts over the programme’s five-year span. The government aims to reach 1.3m women, representing 50 per cent coverage of the projected eligible population.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025