Significant improvement made in life expectancy, increase in immunization, reduction in Maternal mortality and Neonatal mortality
Priority to prevention of diseases and improving primary healthcare can pay rich dividends
Pakistan Economic Survey 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s total spending on Health remains less than 1% of GDP which is much below the recommendations by World Health Organization but even then, significant improvement has been made in life expectancy, increase in immunization figures besides reduction of maternal mortality as well as neonatal mortality. However, health landscape seen in the context of South Asian Region, it remains challenging. These facts have been highlighted in the Pakistan Economic Survey Report 2025 released by the Government of Pakistan before the announcement of current year’s budget.
Exact Public Health Expenditures stood at 0.9% of GDP and total allocations for public health sector programmed were noted as Rs. 103.5 billion. Life expectancy has increased from65.6 Years in 2015 to 67.6 Years in 2023. Immunization figures for children has also increased from 72% in 2015 to 86% among children aged 12-23 months in 2023. Maternal mortality ratio per hundred thousand 276 in 2007 to 186 in 2019. Neonatal mortality (per thousand live births) forty-five in 2015 to thirty-seven in 2023. Infant mortality (per thousand live births) has also decreased from sixty-four in 2015 to fifty in 2023. However, an increase in the prevalence of HIV has also been noted.
If one compares these figures with other South Asian Countries, Pakistan still remains far behind. Life expectancy in the region at present is stated to be 71.6 years (2023). Maternal mortality figures for the region are one hundred twenty per hundred thousand live births while infant mortality rates in the region are 30.2 per thousand live births in 2023 while mortality rates for children under five years of age are 34.8 per thousand live births. As regards human resource, the number of doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and lady health workers have also increased but the exact figures are difficult to obtain, even from the regulatory bodies for various reasons. The figures for undernourished, child stunting, child wasting and under five mortalities for Pakistan stand at 20.7%, 33.2%, 10% and 6.1% respectively.
After the 18th Constitutional amendment, health has become a provincial subject and different provinces have their own priorities and strategies but lack of coordination and collaborative approach among different provinces is lacking. Corruption in purchase of drugs, electromedical equipment and other related areas in various provinces is often highlighted in the media. Hence, even if judicious use of the available scarce resources is ensured, the situation can still improve tremendously.
Pakistan still needs to do a lot more which is only possible with the overall development and economic recovery in the country. At present a major portion of our scarce resources are being spent on fighting terrorism and control of law-and-order situation, hence the authorities are left with very little funding to increase health expenditures. Hence, it is extremely important that every Pakistani contributes its share in the economic development of the country for which presenting a positive image of the country is extremely important.
In the health sector our major emphasis should shift from curative to prevention of diseases which is highly cost effective. Improving sanitation, water supply, primary healthcare, strengthening School Health Service, effective utilization of Lady Health Workers, major emphasis on training of nurses and medical technicians, improving rural health care by strengthening the Basic Health Units and making them fully functional with proper monitoring and accountability put in place can prove rewarding.
