Islamabad: With the federal and provincial governments on the same page after consultative efforts spanning more than a year, the Ministry of
Health Tuesday shared the broad contours of the draft
National Health Vision, which offers a road map to improve the
Health of all Pakistanis, particularly women and children, through universal access to quality essential
Health services. The
Vision document, which was endorsed by all provinces and federating areas, will soon be presented to the Council of Common Interests for final approval.
The document was finalised at the close of a
National consultative meeting on the
National Health Vision, chaired by Minister of State for
Health Saira Afzal Tarar. Provincial ministers and secretaries of health, officials from relevant federal ministries as well as provincial and regional
Health departments, do**r and UN agencies, and the private sector, among others, participated in the meeting.
The media was told that the
National Health Vision is in line with Pakistan’s
Vision 2025, and within the framework of the post-18th Amendment Constitutional roles and responsibilities. The document has a particular focus on vulnerable groups, and is in consonance with provincial and federal
Health policy frameworks, post-devolution
Health sector strategies, and international
Health treaties, commitments and regulations to which Pakistan is a signatory.
Saira termed the document as “a unified
Vision to improve the
Health of people across provinces, yet while ensuring provincial auto**my and diversity. It will help build
coherence between federal and provincial efforts in consolidating progress, learning from experiences, and moving towards universal
Health coverage.”
The document has eight thematic areas consisting of six building blocks of the
Health system, with two additional areas of cross-sectoral linkages and global
Health responsibilities. The aim is to achieve Universal
Health Coverage (UHC) resulting in a fairer, more efficient
Health financing that pools risk and shares healthcare costs equitably across the population. UHC reforms will improve
Health and provide financial protection of poor and vulnerable populations in particular.
The document also features a monitoring and evaluation mechanism through an Interprovincial
Health and Population Council, which will have the responsibility of oversight of implementation of the
National Health Vision. It will also endorse reports for presentation to the Parliament on an annual basis. The document has ** implementation or action points; this will remain a provincial domain to be handled according to preferences.
The
National Health Vision is a**ther name for a
National Health policy. Pakistan’s last approved
Health policy dates back to the year 2001; a draft policy prepared nine years later in 2010 fell prey to the ongoing process of devolution. In the absence of a coherent policy, the present government initiated the process for the development of the
National Health Vision in mid-2015. Extensive consultations were thereafter held with provincial stakeholders to develop consensus for a common
National Vision that could also serve as an advocacy tool for enhancing resource mobilisation for the
Health sector on all fora. The development of a draft document started in January 2016, leading to the allocation of roles and responsibilities.
“Since
Health is a provincial subject and the provinces have varied needs and expectations regarding health, the document focuses on agreed priorities in health. It depicts the common political aspirations of the provincial and the federal governments,” the media was told. The federal ministry of
Health will support and facilitate the provinces in implementation of their strategies to ensure that UHC is a
reality for all the citizens.
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