National health, population policy reviewed

Islamabad:Work on the formulation of the National Health and Population Policy (NHPP) for the period 2025-34 was reviewed during a meeting here on Monday.

The participants included federal finance and revenue minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, senior officers from the Ministry of Finance as well as a three-member NHPP team, led by Dr Sameen Siddiqi, Professor at the Aga Khan University and NHPP team lead, along with health systems specialist Dr. Tayyeb Masud and public health expert and NHPP coordinator Dr Noorul Huda Shah.

During the meeting, the NHPP team provided an update on the development of the policy, which is set to guide the country's health and population strategies for the next decade.

The team emphasised that the policy is being developed with a focus on evidence-based decision-making and prioritising critical health issues, all within the context of the fiscal constraints resulting from Pakistan’s current macroeconomic situation.

It outlined the broader goals of the policy, which include reorganising and restructuring the existing health infrastructure, addressing the challenges posed by high population growth, integrating health and population strategies, and leveraging political capital to increase public sector financing for the health sector.

These efforts are aimed at creating a health system that works efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of a growing population, particularly the most vulnerable sectors of society. In addition, the team presented a series of proposals and recommendations designed to help achieve the goals of the NHPP, focusing on strengthening health systems, improving resource allocation and ensuring that critical health services reach all segments of the population, particularly those most in need.

Minister Aurangzeb commended the team for their hard work and the progress made thus far on the NHPP and urged it to formally submit their recommendations and proposals to the Ministry of Finance for further review and action.

He noted that while Pakistan faced the challenge of a rapidly growing population, the use of population as a criterion for the distribution of resources must be examined holistically. "The NHPP should align with best international practices and benchmarks to ensure an equitable and effective approach to resource allocation," he said.

The meeting concluded with participants making a commitment to working closely on the development of NHPP, with the goal of addressing the country’s health and population challenges in a sustainable and impactful manner.