Sindh enrols 1m pregnant, lactating women in 15 districts under Mamta programme

KARACHI: The Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA) of the provincial government has achieved a major milestone under its flagship Mamta Programme, with over one million pregnant and lactating women enrolled across 15 districts of the province.

Officials said on Thursday that the programme has facilitated more than 4.7 million health check-ups, significantly improving access to essential maternal and child healthcare services. For thousands of women in remote and underserved areas, this programme represents their first consistent access to formal healthcare.

The Mamta programme is designed to reduce maternal and infant mortality by combining financial support with mandatory health check-ups. Under the initiative, eligible women receive conditional cash transfers of up to Rs41,000 directly into their mobile accounts, linked to regular antenatal and postnatal visits at designated public health facilities.

Speaking on the achievement, Minister for Social Protection Saeed Ghani said, “This milestone reflects the Government of Sindh’s commitment to protecting vulnerable mothers and children. Mamta is not just financial support—it is ensuring that mothers receive the care they need at the right time.”

According to the news release, out of one million enrollments, Sanghar leads with 105,317 enrolled PLWs, followed by Ghotki (97,075), Badin (94,238), Mirpurkhas (81,141), and Tharparkar (80,796). Other contributing districts include Qambar Shahdadkot (76,303), Umerkot (74,388), Kashmore Kandhkot (72,887), Jacobabad (68,854), Shikarpur (51,221), Tando Allahyar (45,224), Thatta (41,516), Matiari (38,514), Tando Muhammad Khan (38,279), and Sujawal (34,320).

Chief Executive Officer SSPA Irshad Ali Sodhar added: “Reaching one million mothers demonstrates the trust people place in this initiative. More importantly, it means that millions of critical health interventions have reached women who need them the most, laying the foundation for healthier families across Sindh.”

The government aims to further expand the programme’s coverage and strengthen service delivery mechanisms in the next phase, ensuring that an even greater number of vulnerable women and children benefit from this initiative.