‘Flaws in disease control programmes to be addressed’

Islamabad : The Inter-Ministerial Health and Population Council -- previously known as the Pakistan Health and Population Strategic Forum -- will undertake a comprehensive reform of essential public health functions in consultation with the provinces. The process will entail strengthening of important public health programmes, which suffered serious weaknesses in the post-devolution era on account of changes in their management and alignment, with the absence of a national vision for disease control adding fuel to fire.

The Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza made an announcement to this effect while addressing a press conference Thursday after chairing a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Health and Population Council, which he stated, has been renamed to enhance its stature and redefine its terms, which include formulation of a cohesive national strategy for development of the health and population sectors. The meeting was also attended by the Health and Population Ministers from the provinces and the Federal Areas. Sindh’s Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho joined the meeting through video link while Punjab’s Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid was present herself.

Sharing key decisions taking at the Council’s meeting, Dr. Zafar stated that the vertical health programmes on Tuberculosis, Hepatitis C, Polio, LHWs, HIV and AIDs, Malaria, and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), among others, suffered a lot in the wake of the 18th Amendment. “It is because of the weakening of these programmes that diseases are on the rise. Just as the Ministry of Health was dissolved and then had to be reconstituted in view of its significance, so too will these health programmes be reformed at the national level in consultation with the provincial governments,” Dr. Zafar stated, emphasizing the need for strong coordination at the federal and provincial levels. The Council was apprised of the huge funding gap plaguing the TB Control Programme. All provincial ministers were urged to enhance domestic funding and address case detection and better management of the drug-resistant strain of TB.

Dr. Zafar said, the Council has agreed to strengthen the Lady Health Workers (LHW) Programme with improvement in their working conditions and allocation of additional resources to the programme.

Dr. Yasmeen regretted that the previous government had declared LHWs a dead cadre despite their important role in propagating community level health interventions through door-to-door visits. “We have revived the LHW Programme and I feel happy to share that only today, Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised a handsome allocation for the programme. The revival of disease control programmes cannot be achieved without strengthening of the LHWs Programme. A working paper on the programme will also be developed to maximize its coverage and functionality,” she said.

The delegation of participating health ministers called on the PM to apprise him of the deliberations that took place in the Council’s meeting, and to seek his support for prioritized health areas. Dr. Zafar said, the PM has agreed, in principle, to provide funding for the LHW Programme, to announce a special health package for Balochistan, and to support the construction of a 250-bedded hospital in Gilgit- Baltistan this year, followed by another hospital within the next four years. Dr. Yasmeen added that the PC1 of the hospital is already being prepared, and construction is expected to begin this year.

Dr. Zafar said, the Council will discuss and finalize the National Action Plan on Nutrition, and that the National Task force on Population will meet soon, with the PM in the chair. “We have also devised a National Action Plan on Population Control which has been passed on to the provinces for feedback. The plan will be finalized within the next 10 days, after which its implementation will begin,” he added.

The Council also discussed issues pertaining to nursing. Areas for strengthening were deliberated upon and a PC-1 was shared with the provinces with a comprehensive plan to improve the quality and number of nurses and midwives in Pakistan. Dr. Zafar announced that Nursing Schools will be upgraded to Nursing Colleges, which will offer internationally compatible degree programmes to bring this profession at par with international standards.

Responding to a query, Dr. Zafar said, national health priorities can only be achieved through collective endeavors made in consonance with the provinces. “We strongly believe in devolution of power; however, the Constitution as well as 18th Amendment permit the federal government to support the provinces in improved health delivery and to help frame a national vision to prevent and control diseases. We played such a role in the recent HIV outbreak in Sindh.

The Council asked all provinces to bring their financial statements along in the next meeting to deliberate on best possible utilization of funds. Meetings of the Council will be hosted on a rotational basis, with the next one scheduled in Quetta in the third week of September.