KARACHI: The country shows alarmingly poor health indicators, with a decline in vaccination rates and life expectancy, despite efforts, reveals the Economic Survey of Pakistan for FY 2022-23.
The recently released survey shows a 2 percent decline in measles vaccination rates, with a drop from 83pc in 2020 to 81pc in 2021. It also reveals that during the last year of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, life expectancy, which has been steadily increasing worldwide, dipped in Pakistan, while the life expectancy at birth also went down from 66.3 years in 2020 to 66.1 years in 2021.
Meanwhile, other health indicators also showed limited improvement or even regression. The neonatal mortality rate decreased marginally from 40.4 per 1,000 live births in 2020 to 39.4 in the subsequent year.
Similarly, the under-five mortality rate decreased from 65.5 to 63.3 children per 1,000 live births. While there was a slight improvement in the infants’ mortality rate, it dropped from 54.4 to 52.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021.
Women’s health also remained a concern, as the survey shows the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years), barely decreasing from 41.4pc in 2018 to 41.3pc in 2019. Additionally, exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants up to five months of age increased only slightly from 47.5pc in 2018 to 47.8pc in 2019.
Despite an increase in the number of healthcare professionals, the overall health indicators remain unsatisfactory. The survey reports an increase in the number of doctors from 266,430 in 2021 to 282,383 in 2022, dentists from 30,501 to 33,156, nurses from 121,245 to 127,855, and midwives from 44,110 to 46,110.
Though in terms of expenditure the health sector's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) share increased from 1pc to 1.4pc in the FY2021-22, the availability of essential food items per capita remains insufficient, with only 7.8kg of pulses, 172 liters of milk, 24kg of meat, and 2.8kg of fish recorded per person FY2022-23.
Acknowledging the contribution of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in the healthcare sector, the survey shows that approximately 80pc of the cancer burden in the country is managed by PAEC's well-equipped cancer hospitals, which provide treatment to around 40,000 cancer patients annually.
The PAEC, with its advanced nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, and radiology departments and a dedicated team of 278 doctors, continues to apply nuclear technology to address the nation's healthcare needs. Additionally, PAEC endeavors to establish one cancer hospital every three years for remote area patients.
The survey also mentions the contribution of the Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) which is committed to enhancing healthcare services in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) by implementing evidence-based regulatory standards for the registration, licensing, and oversight of healthcare establishments, professionals, and equipment.
As part of its efforts, IHRA has placed significant emphasis on enforcing minimum safety standards for healthcare establishments. These measures aim to ensure the provision of high-quality healthcare services in the region. Moreover, IHRA continuously strives to improve the overall quality of healthcare by introducing innovative initiatives and fostering a culture of excellence.
