ISLAMABAD: While the Universal Health Coverage Day was observed on Tuesday, caretaker Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan admitted that half of the population of Pakistan did not have access to essential health services.

“However, UHC index has increased from 40pc in 2015 to 52.7pc in 2023. The real challenge still lies ahead. With our expected enhanced investment in essential health services at the community and primary healthcare levels, we need to ensure efficiency and effectiveness while addressing equity issues,” he said in a statement issued in connection with the day.

The minister stated that understanding the disease burden in the country was crucial for effective health planning and resource allocation.

Dr Jan said investing in universal health coverage (UHC) was the only way to guarantee the socioeconomic wellbeing of communities in the context of health.

Says need to ensure efficiency, effectiveness while addressing equity issues

“The day underscores the government’s steadfast commitment to ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for all citizens,” he said.

the day serves as a global reminder of the importance of health as a fundamental human right and the need for collective efforts to achieve health coverage for everyone, leaving no one behind.

This year’s theme, ‘Health for All: Time for Action’, resonated with ongoing efforts to build a healthier and more equitable society.

“The government has been working tirelessly to strengthen the healthcare system, improve infrastructure and enhance the quality of services. The ministry has implemented various UHC reforms aimed at expanding healthcare access to vulnerable populations. Our focus is on building a robust and resilient healthcare system that meets the diverse needs of our population. Approximately, 500 basic health units across the country will be upgraded in a short time under an agreement between the ministry of health and the World Health Organisation (WHO),” the minister said.

He also encouraged citizens to actively participate in promoting their health and well-being, recognising that a healthy population was crucial for the overall development of the nation.

Meanwhile, WHO in a statement called on governments to prioritise investments in building resilient health systems to safeguard the health and well-being of all people, everywhere.

“In an increasingly turbulent world, climate change, emergencies and other shocks will take an even greater toll on health systems and the people who need them most. Over 40pc of people in the world already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Over a quarter of the global population live in settings affected by protracted conflict, poverty and lack of access to basic health services,” it stated.

“Global humanitarian needs have reached record levels with 360 million people in need worldwide. At the same time, half the world’s population is not fully covered by essential health services and two billion people face financial hardship or are impoverished due to out-of-pocket health spending,” it added.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2023