Only 86 million people have access to essential health services in country and Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) in collaboration with provincial health departments is working for development of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Benefit Package of Pakistan, a statement released.
A five-day national discourse on the Development and Implementation of Universal Health Coverage Benefit Package of Pakistan started here. A statement issued by Ministry of NHS said that Pakistan is making progress on health outcomes but progress is very slow with serious equity issues.
Only 86 million Pakistani were having access to essential health services in 2017 – a major reason for poor health outcomes in Pakistan.
To address the challenge, the ministry is expanding the ‘Sehat Inssaf’ Programme to all districts in Pakistan to protect 83 million poorest people from terrible health expenditure but also to ensure provision of essential package of health services to all people both through public and private health sector.
Special Advisor to Prime Minister on NHS Dr. Zafar Mirza, addressing the inaugural session said Pakistan is the first country in the world to use localized evidence on disease control priorities 3 and burden of disease to develop an essential package of health services/UHC benefit package of Pakistan.
Secretary NHS Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik said that health ministry in partnership with the provincial/area departments of health, health academic institutes, private sector, civil society organizations and development partners has developed an essential package of health services/UHC Benefit Package and will have deliberations to finalize the document, while considering the evidence generated.
Presenting the draft essential package of health services, Dr. Assad Hafeez, Director General (Health) informed the audience that adequate evidence and research for defining essential health services, followed by effective implementation of the services to all people is the best solution for effective functioning of health system in Pakistan and delivering UHC results.
The ministry in collaboration with the provincial/ area departments of health and other stakeholders is finalizing the UHC benefit package of Pakistan and to start its implementation in 2020.
