On October 24, 2024, the Social Health Protection (SHP) Program, KfW Development Bank, and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC) formalised their collaboration with the signing of a contract to launch the Outpatient Department (OPD) Pilot Project. This event marks a critical step in a long period of preparation and negotiation and the official beginning of this important initiative.

After a short inception phase, the pilot is expected to be launched in early 2025. It aims to enhance access to outpatient healthcare services, addressing a critical need in social health protection that is also documented in our scientific and policy papers.

With the launch of the pilot, the research project will also enter a new phase:  several research activities focusing on process and impact evaluation will be initiated. These research activities will provide valuable insights into the pilot’s performance, ensuring data-driven improvements and scalability in the future.

We are looking forward to the next steps as the OPD Pilot Project takes shape. More updates will follow. 

The contract signing was also covered extensively by local media, e.g.: Dawn E-Paper, ProPakistani and Daily Ausaf