PESHAWAR, Feb 3: The ratio of the public expenditure to private expenditure on health care in the NWFP is 1 to 1.33, a study carried out by the Oxford Policy Management revealed.

The study funded by the Asian Development Bank in collaboration with  the NWFP health department revealed that households contributed bulk of the spending on health with private sector expenses in the sector coming to Rs6.9 billion, 57 per cent of the expenditure incurred on health.

The study about money spent on health by the public and private  sectors was carried out as part of the health sector reforms project and it was the first of its kind in Pakistan.

The study revealed that the total health expenditure during 2000 and 2001 was Rs12.275 billion, of which the public sector spending, including that of the federal and provincial governments and foreign aid, came to Rs5.3 billion - 43 per cent of the total.

The health department was allocated 8.7 per cent of the budget during  the last financial year but private spending remained higher than  the government allocation.

The per capita expenditure in the NWFP comes to Rs170 if the provincial health department budget is considered. It is Rs282 if the federal funds are added and it rises to Rs657 if the entire health sector spending are taken into account.

Analysts said the findings would be used to determine allocations to the district governments, information on affordability and willingness to pay, and costing of essential services provided by teaching hospitals and other facilities at the district level.

The study says that the Gross National Product percentage spent on the public health sector is reported at 0.7 per cent. The total percentage of GNP rises to 1.02 per cent if the money spent by the federal and provincial governments is taken into account.

It excludes the expenditure incurred on the tribal areas and the Afghan refugees, who are a major source of strain on public spending on health.