ISLAMABAD, April 30: A 24–member task force was set up on Wednesday to prepare a new national health policy.

It will also review the health policy prepared in 2001.

Experts said the step was taken because emerging diseases, changing disease patterns and new challenges in public health had made a new policy necessary.

The task force is headed by Health Minister Sherry Rehman with the health secretary her deputy and the National Health Policy Unit chief its secretary.

It includes MNAs Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Dr Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Dr Ahmed Ali Shah, Dr Sadiqua Jafarey, Dr Ahmad Shahab, Dr Nadeem Qamar, Dr Kaiser Bengali, Prof Jawad Sajid Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar, Dr Asim Hussain, Dr Asad Sayeed, Prof Mohammad Daud Khan, Prof Abdul Malik Achakzai, Dr Khalif Bile Mohamud, Mohammad Ashar Malik, Dr Umar Ayub Khan, the chairman of the Pharma Bureau, the president of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association and the health secretaries of the four provinces, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir.

It will deliberate on restructuring of the health infrastructure, regulation of medical education, healthcare financing, human capital and accountability and monitoring mechanism of primary healthcare programmes, evaluate health projects and analyse the existing policy.

The task force has been asked to suggest short- and medium-term action plans. It will draw guidance from Pakistan People’s Party’s manifesto.

Salient features of PPP’s health manifesto include guaranteed access to doctor, focus on prevention, guaranteed affordable drugs, improvement in medical education and training, limiting the role of public sector, introducing a generic scheme for medicines and expanding the lady health workers programme.