ADB approves $300 mln loan to Pakistan: Reuters

ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The Asian Development Bank will extend $300 million in loans to help Pakistan implement programmes aimed at reducing poverty and improving the health of women and infants, the bank said in a statement on Thursday.

The ADB will provide $100 million each to three of Pakistan's provinces -- Punjab, Baluchistan and Sindh."The programme could potentially save the lives of up to 11,000 women and 235,000 infants by 2015 compared to a scenario without such support," said Rie Hiraoka, senior social sector specialist for ADB's Central and West Asia department.The statement did not say when the loans would be disbursed.Like many developing economies, Pakistan has been hit hard by rising fuel and food prices and inflation is at its highest since the 1970s.

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