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The catalyst has a significant role in gas processing applications such as reforming technologies for H2 and syngas production. The stable catalyst is requisite for any industrial catalysis application to make it commercially viable. Several methods are employed to synthesize the catalysts. However, there is still a challenge to achieve a controlled morphology and pure catalyst which majorly influences the catalytic activity in reforming applications. The conventional methods are expansive, and the removal of the impurities are major challenges. Nevertheless, it is not straightforward to achieve the desired structure and stability. Therefore, significant interest has been developed on the advanced techniques to take control of the physicochemical properties of the catalyst through non-thermal plasma (NTP) techniques. In this review, the systematic evolution of the catalyst synthesis using NTP technique is elucidated. The emerging DBD plasma to synthesized and effective surface treatment is reviewed. DBD plasma synthesized catalyst performance in reforming application for H2 and syngas production is summarised. Furthermore, the status of DBD plasma for catalyst synthesis and proposed future avenues to design environmentally suitable and cost-effective synthesis techniques are discussed.

The excess emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2 and CH4 is posing an acute threat to the environment, and efficient ways are being sought to utilize GHGs to produce syngas (H2, CO) and lighter hydrocarbons (HCs). In this study, the dry reforming of methane (DRM) has been carried out at 700 °C using La2O3 co-supported Ni/MgAl2O4 nano-catalyst in a fixed bed thermal reactor. The catalyst is characterized using various techniques such as XRD, FESEM, EDX-mapping, CO2-TPD, H2-TPR and TGA. The modified MgAl2O4 shows the flake type structure after the addition of La2O3. The TPR and TPD analysis shows the highly dispersed metal and strong basic nature of the catalyst consequently enhances the conversion of CO2 and CH4. The highest conversion for CH4 is 87.3% while CO2 conversion is nearly 89.5% in 20 h of operation time. The selectivity of H2 and CO approached 50% making the H2/CO ratio above unity. In the longer time-on-stream (TOS) test, the catalyst shows elevated potential for longer runs showcasing better catalytic activity. The stability of the catalyst is indicated via a proposed reaction mechanism for DRM in operating conditions. Moreover, TGA indicates the lower weight loss of spent catalyst which ascribed the lower formation of carbon during TOS 20 h.

consequences of 2011 reforms on the future roles demarcation between the federation and provinces for steering the health sector. The objective of this assessment study was to conduct an institutional appraisal of the provincial health department in Punjab to mark the achievements, problem areas and issues, as well as to formulate the recommendations in the post-devolution scenario. It was an in-depth literature review comprising papers found on PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, reports published by the government departments, independent research works, academic papers, and documents produced by the development agencies in Pakistan, covering 18th constitutional amendment and its implications on health sector. Following 18th amendment, the Punjab Government formulated health sector strategy (2012-2017) which is being implemented in a phased approach. All districts have developed their three years rolling out plans. An integrated strategic and operational plan of MNCH, Nutrition and Family Planning is under review for approval. Punjab Health Care Commission has been established and is functional to regulate the health sector. Development agencies have in principle committed to support health sector strategy till 2017. Fair investments in improving governance, service delivery structure, human resource, health information, and medical products are expected more than ever in the post 18th amendment scenario. This is the chance for the health system of Punjab to serve the vulnerable people of the provinces, saving them from health shocks.

Decentralization of government services may take various forms: (a) de-concentration, (b) delegation, (c) devolution and (d) privatization (Rondinelli et al. 1983). Any form of decentralization ought to improve the responsiveness and quality of health services delivery by better informing decision-makers and service providers, bringing them closer to the populations they serve and making them more accountable. Decentralization tends to simplify management structures and enhance the efficient use of resources, ensuring equity in terms of improved access to health services and delivery for underserved, marginalized, vulnerable and remotely located population groups (Frenk 1994). However, in the absence of a national health services policy, current inequities in the distribution of finances, it is possible that human resources and structures could deteriorate. There is a likelihood of increased inefficiency owing to gaps in the managerial capacity of subnational tiers of government, especially when subnational capacity and overall infrastructure are weak (Roy 1994). Thus, decentralization and devolution of powers in the healthcare and social sectors have yielded mixed results in various countries around the world. Efforts towards decentralization typically result from political decisions over which health functionaries have little control, and this is the case with Pakistan. The sixth most populous country in the world, located in southern Asia, Pakistan has recently enacted constitutional reforms that shift financial and administrative powers to the four subnational/provincial governments (Government of Pakistan 2010). The federal health ministry and many other social-sector portfolios have been transferred to the four provinces with the mandate of policy making, financing, regulation, service provision, administration and governance. This political transition has many implications for healthcare provision (Nishtar and Mehboob 2011). As a result of reforms initiated in 2011, high-priority preventive programs formerly managed by the federal government – such as family planning, primary healthcare (PHC), immunization, maternal/neonatal and child health, nutrition and programs targeting specific diseases – are now managed at the provincial level (Nishtar 2011). Pakistan has long had a mixed public–private healthcare delivery system with the conventional three tiers of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities (Shaikh 2011). Like many low-income countries, it relies on community health workers, who are a valuable resource in providing basic healthcare and MCH-related services at the community level (Kruk et al. 2009). Yet despite Pakistan's conventional healthcare system with vertically organized programs to deliver the first tier of care, 80% of the population uses the private-sector, fee-for-service system (Shaikh 2011; WHO 2007b). Pakistan has a high fertility rate, high maternal and under-five mortality rates and a low rate of contraceptive use (National Institute of Population Studies and Macro International 2008). As a signatory to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the country is lagging in terms of reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds (MDG 4) and maternal mortality by three-quarters (MGD 5) by 2015 (Lawn et al. 2011). The attainment of MDGs could become an even bigger challenge given the present political transition. Decentralization in Pakistan is a consequence of domestic political decisions taken by the ruling party, which claims to have restored the constitution of 1973 in its original state. There are also economic, organizational and legal reasons behind the reforms, yet these have been subsumed by the overarching political environment, as have decentralization efforts in many parts of the world (Saltman et al. 2007). The variations evident within the four Pakistani provinces – in terms of population size, political and social set-up, and the structure and quality of healthcare delivery systems – have serious implications, particularly on MCH indicators. The process of reform offers an opportunity to confront long-standing challenges, constraints and inadequacies within Pakistan's health systems. Health planning at the provincial and district levels may be more effective at problem identification, prioritization and setting clear objectives within local budgets. Moreover, decentralization should ideally result in better governance, more effective service delivery and decision-making at the grassroots level, thus providing a platform for empowering citizens (Shaikh and Rabbani 2004). With the provinces having greater autonomy, primary healthcare, which is the core approach for expanding and strengthening the essential programs for MCH in any developing country, could be incidentally revitalized (Shaikh et al. 2007). This transitional phase is also an opportune time to foster intersectoral cooperation to address social determinants of health (WHO 2010a). However, success will depend upon strengthening the basic building blocks of the health system.

Objectives Despite certain reforms undertaken in Pakistan to reorient its health system, the health-related millennium goals lagged behind many neighbouring and regional countries. This study was conducted to understand the implications of government reforms including the devolution on the National Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programme; and to determine donors’ and development partners’ current and prospective role in the post-reform scenario. Setting The donor agencies based in the federal capital Islamabad, as well as the federal and provincial government offices involved in the financing, design, oversight and implementation of various MNCH initiatives in Pakistan, were included in the sample. Participants A descriptive qualitative study based on individual in-depth interviews with representatives from donor agencies and government offices (8 each) involved in programmes directly related to the MNCH sector. Results The reforms are denounced as deficient in terms of detailed planning and operationalisation of the vertical programmes including that for MNCH. The government had to face coordination challenges with the provinces, which has affected donor engagement and funding mechanisms to a great deal. Investment in MNCH, population and nutrition has been the topmost priority of development partners in Pakistan. Their contributions towards health systems also include assistance in developing and implementing provincial health sector strategies, establishment of Health Sector Reform Units and investments in service delivery, research and advocacy. Conclusions Any health sector reform must be complemented by a roll-out strategy, including robust support to the provincial health systems and to their capacity building. Development partners must align and coordinate their strategies with provinces to stabilise the MNCH programme in Pakistan. More coordination between the different tiers of the government and the donors could streamline MNCH partnership in post-reform times.

The population of the world reached seven billion in 2012. Pakistan's population stands at more than 180 million, is growing rapidly, and has the highest unmet need for family planning (FP) in isolated rural areas. The low usage of contraception in the rural areas of Pakistan correlates with the level of isolation, poverty, illiteracy, and to a large extent, religious misinterpretations/misconceptions. Almost 25% of couples who desired FP services were not receiving them for a variety of reasons of which religion could be one, especially in the rural remote areas where the media is still not reaching and influencing mind-sets. In this scenario, the role of social marketing in bringing about attitudinal and behavioural change among users in underserved areas and gatekeepers and opinion makers in society must not be neglected. The work in promoting FP, contraception and birth spacing requires authentic evidence from similar sociocultural contexts and this endeavour of compiling case studies from various Islamic countries on their FP initiatives is a good step. Governments around the world, including many in the Islamic world, support FP programmes to enable individuals and couples to choose the number and timing of their children.This paper is a review of secondary data accessed through PubMed and Google Scholar. It provides an overview of Islamic countries' policies on, and support for FP and modern contraception. For this purpose, literature from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey was included.There are significant internal social and economic reasons to focus on FP in the Muslim world. Thus, arguments by religious scholars who see FP as an external western conspiracy aimed at curtailing the growth and strength of the Islamic world appear to be uninformed of both the socio-political and demographic realities in many Muslim countries, as well as the historical permissibility of contraception within the Islamic legacy. In fact, it can be argued that given the profound socio-economic and political difficulties in various parts of the Muslim world, a lack of FP and increasing populations would weaken and curtail the pace of overall development.Private institutions and the government must collaborate in leveraging initiatives and bridging gaps for more robust advocacy with clergymen and religious scholars to support the larger cause of FP and birth spacing i.e. improving infant and maternal health in Pakistan.

Objectives Despite certain reforms undertaken in Pakistan to reorient its health system, the health-related millennium goals lagged behind many neighbouring and regional countries. This study was conducted to understand the implications of government reforms including the devolution on the National Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programme; and to determine donors’ and development partners’ current and prospective role in the post-reform scenario. Setting The donor agencies based in the federal capital Islamabad, as well as the federal and provincial government offices involved in the financing, design, oversight and implementation of various MNCH initiatives in Pakistan, were included in the sample. Participants A descriptive qualitative study based on individual in-depth interviews with representatives from donor agencies and government offices (8 each) involved in programmes directly related to the MNCH sector. Results The reforms are denounced as deficient in terms of detailed planning and operationalisation of the vertical programmes including that for MNCH. The government had to face coordination challenges with the provinces, which has affected donor engagement and funding mechanisms to a great deal. Investment in MNCH, population and nutrition has been the topmost priority of development partners in Pakistan. Their contributions towards health systems also include assistance in developing and implementing provincial health sector strategies, establishment of Health Sector Reform Units and investments in service delivery, research and advocacy. Conclusions Any health sector reform must be complemented by a roll-out strategy, including robust support to the provincial health systems and to their capacity building. Development partners must align and coordinate their strategies with provinces to stabilise the MNCH programme in Pakistan. More coordination between the different tiers of the government and the donors could streamline MNCH partnership in post-reform times.