Blog 7

Pakistan

    Pakistan is the fifth most populous country, with a population of 222,488,588 (Worldmeter, 2020.) A developing country with millions of people is bound to have numerous health issues. Health is particularly important as a large segment of Pakistan’s population lives below the poverty line. Therefore the Pakistan government has taken the initiative to tackle the issues this country faces. In 2016, Pakistan became the first country to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its national development agenda through a National Assembly Resolution. 

Implementation and Monitoring of SDG 

    To start the implementation of SDG 3 a comprehensive National SDG Framework was approved by the National Economic Council (NEC), the country’s highest economic policy-making forum. This Framework sets baselines and targets for SDG indicators and will feed into the SDGs’ Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The framework is now guiding the provinces and federally administered areas to determine their development priorities, based on local needs. To monitor the implementation of the SDGs, the provinces have instituted Technical Committees and Thematic Clusters. The nomination of focal persons at all levels of government, down to the districts, is helping them to align their development priorities with the 2030 Agenda. This institutional arrangement has been instrumental in guiding the alignment of federal and provincial national policies, sectoral plans, and growth strategies with the contours of the 2030 Agenda (UN, 2019.) 

Health Resources 

    Although over the years public health activities have increased in terms of physical infrastructure and workforce, including increased numbers of doctors, dentists, and nurses. Theres still problems regarding the delivery of health. Health care delivery suffers from the constant high population growth, which overall affects the quantity of health services due to the insufficient distribution of healthcare professionals, lack of workforce and limited funding (Khan, 2019.)

Health Issue

    Pakistan faces a variety of health issues. According to the UN (n.d.), every 2 seconds someone aged 30 to 70 years dies prematurely from non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, or cancer. An estimate of  400 million people in Pakistan has no basic healthcare. Frequent outbreaks of diseases like dengue fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), leishmaniasis, diphtheria, measles, and polio. Under-nutrition of pregnant and lactating women and children remains at a high level in Pakistan (WHO, 2020.)

Agenda Cost 

    There is not a specific amount for the cost of the implementation of SDG 3 in Pakistan. However, the 2030 agenda uses the SDG Health Price Tag, a model that estimates the financial funds needed to strengthen and expand healthcare systems in order to reach the health targets in the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This tool is used to measures the expansion of health services in 67 low/middle-income countries, including Pakistan. Related to SDG 3, 2030 agenda works to improve health systems by employing more health workers, building and operating new clinics, hospitals and laboratories, supplying medical equipment, fund the costs for medicines, vaccines, syringes and other commodities used to prevent or treat specific diseases, and for activities such as training, health campaigns and outreach to vulnerable communities. To provide for all these improvements, an investment increasing over time from an initial US$ 134 billion annually to $371 billion, or $58 per person, by 2030 is needed (WHO, n.d.)

Addressing and Prioritizing 

    Focusing on the healthcare needs of the people has been a top priority for Pakistan. The government has taken the responsibility to improve the population’s health status since the government recognizes that investments in health lead to positive results for the economy and society at large. Improving their health is expected to also improve sustainable economic growth, given that health relates to economic growth. The government accepting the 2030 agenda promises to focus on fostering growth, achieving sustainable development, and transforming Pakistan into an industrialized economy led by an innovative, healthy population (UN, 2019.)

References 

United Nations. (2019). Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/233812019_06_15_VNR_2019_Pakistan_latest_version.pdf

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 3: Good health and well-being: UNDP in Pakistan. https://www.pk.undp.org/content/pakistan/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-3-good-health-and-well-being.html

World Health Organization. (2020, February 10). Pakistan. https://www.who.int/health-cluster/countries/pakistan/en/

Worldmeter. (2020). Pakistan Population (LIVE). https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/pakistan-population/

Wikipedia (n.d). State emblem of Pakistan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan#/media/File:State_emblem_of_Pakistan.svg

Wikipedia (n.d.) Flag of Pakistan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan#/media/File:Flag_of_Pakistan.svg

UNDP. (2015.) [UN Resident Coordinator, Neil Buhne and the Federal Minister Planning, Development and Reform, Ahsan Iqbal signed a MoU for the implementation of the SDGs.] 

[Photograph] https://www.dawn.com/news/1284960

Pakistan Today . (2018.) [Govt forms task force on health to reform healthcare.] [Photograph] https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/09/24/govt-forms-task-force-of-health-to-reform-healthcare/

Khan, A. (2019). Healthcare Resource Guide: Pakistan. https://2016.export.gov/industry/health/healthcareresourceguide/eg_main_108609.asp

World Health Organization. (n.d.). WHO estimates cost of reaching global health targets by 2030. https://www.who.int/news/item/17-07-2017-who-estimates-cost-of-reaching-global-health-targets-by-2030