KARACHI, July 18: High burden of preventable diseases in the country calls for strategic planning of investments across health and health-related sectors to improve the lives of people and promote development. These views were expressed by health experts at a workshop jointly organized by Sindh Health Department and the World Health Organization. Among others, the Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital, Prof M. Saeed Qureshy; Chief Medical Officer Pakistan Steel, Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro; WHO Operations Officer for Sindh, Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi; Director Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, Dr M. Ashraf Sadiq; National Coordinator Community-oriented Medical Education, Prof D.S. Akram; Dr Fawzia Hoodbhoy of CPSP, Dr S.M. Israr of Aga Khan University and Nasim Bokhari of planning and development department attended the workshop.

The participants pointed out that the current increasing efforts of poverty reduction in the country could be enhanced if tangible progress was made in addressing maternal, childhood, communicable and non-communicable diseases.

According to a press release issued here on Monday, they called for reviewing the financing system, generating resources for the health sector, building the capacity of district managers, intensive monitoring and evaluation, good governance, building partnerships, amending existing rules and manuals, developing a referral system, involving other sectors such as safe water, sanitation, primary education and women development in order to bring about an overall improvement in health.

The speakers stressed that the impediments to utilization of funds be removing and options for initiating mandatory health insurance schemes be explored.

They said that mandatory health insurance schemes could be initiated in some selected area of Sindh as had been done in Chitral.

They resolved to improve cost-efficiency of health interventions through all means at their disposal and explore other areas to generate resources for the health sector in order to honour national and international commitments and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Health experts stressed the need for delivery of essential health services based on the framework of a district health system, founded on the principles of primary health care i.e. universal equitable access to integrated essential health services and programmes with community participation and intersectoral action.

According to them, this will generate the desired health care outcomes with fewer women dying during childbirth, better survival rate of children during the early years of their life and effective control of tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS, preventable diseases and hepatitis viral infections.

They also sought a greater investment in health sector to save millions of lives in developing countries, as this holds the potential to produce enormous economic gains.—APP