Pakistan’s population has now surged over 200 million, however delivering a functional healthcare regime to its inhabitants has remained a challenge none of Pakistan’s successive governments – civil and/or military – could yet accomplish. The devolution of the Federal Health Ministry in 2010 after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan meant provincial and local governments could reform and implement health policies to create opportunities for building better health infrastructures to benefit the public is yet to bear full fruits. A recently published UNICEF report titled “Every Child Alive: The urgent need to end newborn death” ranked Pakistan amongst the countries with highest newborn mortality rate and according to World Health Organization report, Pakistan’s maternal mortality rate is 170 per 100,000 live births – a rate significantly higher than in other developing nations. This is not all. Pakistan is also amongst the only three countries where poliomyelitis is still endemic; outbreak of infectious diseases, for instance – malaria, dengue and tuberculosis (TB) is perpetual and public health services are plagued with staff absenteeism and obsolete diagnostic equipment. This indeed is pejorative to a nation striving to become the world’s 20th largest economy by 2030.
As elections loom, political parties and aspiring candidates taking part in the upcoming general election of 2018 ought to prioritize and address in their manifestos, the abysmal state of health services conspicuously affecting millions on daily basis. In the general election held 5 years ago, 7 out of 8 major political parties including PML-N, PPP and PTI branded health as pre-eminent in their campaign trails. PML-N in their 2013 manifesto promised a threefold increase in the expenditure on health to at least 2% of GDP by 2018. However, after being elected the PML N failed to meet its commitment as Pakistan’s spending on health remained a meager 0.9 percent of its GDP in the fiscal year of 2016-17 – also falling below the threshold of 2% recommended by the United Nations.
On the other hand, initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s National Health Program initiated by the Federal government in 2015 and Sehat Sahulat scheme by the provincial government of KP - which are health insurance schemes providing quality medical services to the under-privileged free of cost are a good omen for a low-income population. Another positive trend witnessed in the past years is the gradual increase in provincial budgets on health sector in all four provinces, which in turn saw significant increase in number of Basic Health Units (BoU) and dispensaries in rural areas. Furthermore, the launch of a new health policy in 2016 frequently termed as ‘National Health Vision 2016’ after a lapse of 15 years is also a small step forward towards the right direction as the policy focuses, inter alia, on pro-poor social protection initiative; allocation of resources and coverage of health services. The policy is also in accordance with international health treaties to which Pakistan is a signatory.
It is imperative to say that well-being of a population is the cornerstone for progress of any nation. Public officials have a duty to deliver our nation with basic health services without discrimination. Public activism on health issues can play a positive role to pressurize elected officials and major stakeholders to ‘do more’ to resuscitate the often neglected sector of Pakistan – health.