In Pakistan the universal health coverage had been introduced. For this, the WHO in Pakistan is supporting Pakistan in offering medical equipment, ambulances and mobile units, labour rooms and improving primary and secondary health facilities.
| Pakistan: Federal And Provincial Health Expenditure (Rs million) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Years | Public Sector Expenditure (Federal + Provincial) | Health Expenditure as % of GDP | ||
| Current Expenditure | Development Expenditure | Total Health Expenditures | ||
| 2015-16 | 192,704 | 75,249 | 267,953 | 0.7 |
| 2016-17 | 229,957 | 99,005 | 328,962 | 0.8 |
| 2017-18 | 329,033 | 87,434 | 416,467 | 1.1 |
| 2018-19 | 363,154 | 58,624 | 421,778 | 1.0 |
| 2019-20 | 427,915 | 77,496 | 505,411 | 1.1 |
| 2020-21 | 494,606 | 91,664 | 586,270 | 1.0 |
| 2021-22 (P) | 712,289 | 207,129 | 919,418 | 1.4 |
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan FY2022, provision of quality healthcare services and ensuring nutrition security of the population are key to human capital development, which is a significant determinant of economic development of Pakistan. Our country has been committed to ensure equitable access to health and nutrition services to its population in line with the international best practices as is evident from Pakistan’s commitment to meet worldwide targets of good health and well-being under SDG 3. The National Health Vision 2016-2025 also envisages health sector reforms focusing on improving public health delivery system by carefully designed and need based interventions.
To improve the health facilities the Government of Pakistan has decided to strengthen primary and secondary level health facilities and launching a project to provide uniform health services packages for citizen where over 500 nationwide primary health centre (PHC) hospitals’ upgradation has started. It is said that the renovated emergency room, intensive care units and other state-of art health facilities for patient in various hospitals will be inaugurated in January 2024. The hospital is being upgraded to offer state-of-the-art, high quality care to the patients, mainly the underprivileged.
The chief purpose of upgrading these community centres is to make sure that the public receives basic healthcare at their doorstep, adding, community awareness drives for patients to avail quality services will also be part of this project. The Government of Pakistan is trying their best to come up with a universal health insurance scheme after consultations with the provinces, adding, present government is enhancing the quality of public healthcare services with latest technologies.
Furthermore, the Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) signing ceremony between Pakistan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for cooperation in Pakistan’s health sector. It is said that universal health coverage for treatment was the first priority of the Government of Pakistan and for that purpose, the issue of universal health coverage was discussed in the United Nations General Assembly.
In Pakistan the universal health coverage had been introduced. For this, the WHO in Pakistan is supporting Pakistan in offering medical equipment, ambulances and mobile units, labour rooms and improving primary and secondary health facilities.
WHO had greater than 450 centres in remote areas. It is providing treatment facilities counting vehicles in health which will offer better health facilities to the people. Mobile health clinics and ambulances donated through WHO would bring basic health facilities to the doorsteps of common people.
It was informed that in Pakistan the upgradation of 464 primary health centres was a mega project on which the work would be completed in a short period of two months. The Mobile health units would not only offer basic treatment facilities to the people but under the digital system, those units would be connected to the central health system and would also be able to refer patients to major hospitals.
As per the government officials in statement, health and nutrition profile of Pakistan, as evident from country’s performance on various health and nutrition indicators, presents a moderate picture. Key health indicators regarding child and maternal life expectancy, i.e., neo-natal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, and under-5 mortality rate explained improvement in year 2021 as against to the previous year. Maternal mortality rate also explained progress with 154 deaths per 100,000 births in 2020 as against to 179 in the previous year. However, other indicators like incidence of tuberculosis and measles immunisation decelerated, while life expectancy at birth and HIV prevalence remained same. Regarding worldwide nutrition targets measuring maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN), only two targets have been met as per Global Nutrition Report 2022.
As per data (2019), 41.3 percent of women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) were affected with anemia and this indicator showed no progress. The progress on achieving low birth weight target could not be assessed because of inadequate data. Pakistan is on track with respect to attaining exclusive breastfeeding target with 47.8 per cent of infants aged 0 to 5 months exclusively breastfed as of year 2019. Also, some progress had been made regarding target for stunting (less height for age), but 37.6 per cent of children under 5 years of age are still affected, which is higher than the average for the Asia region (21.8 per cent).
Lastly, some progress towards target for wasting (less weight for height) had also been observed with 7.1 per cent of children under 5 years of age are still affected, which is lower than the average for the Asia region (8.9 per cent). On the other hand, nutrition security has been government’s prime objective to attain economic growth. The formation of human capital begins with the childhood where nutrition lays the foundation for a healthy and productive life. Access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food; awareness to recognize and utilize a healthy diet; and provision of quality healthcare and social services are all prerequisites for ensuring adequate nutrition.
Inadequate nutrition threatens survival of individuals, economies and nations. It stifles economic growth and prolongs poverty through direct and indirect losses, i.e., impaired cognitive function, academic deficits, reduced productivity, and increased healthcare expenditures, etc.