he Covid-19 epidemic made us realise that overall well-being, i.e. physical and mental fitness is of utmost importance in our life. Health issues should never be ignored. One must take necessary measures to manage and cure them. Several steps can be taken to prevent health problems. The most common and effective are regular exercise, eating right and getting a regular health checkup. World Health Day aims to spread awareness about these things and other health-related concerns.

World Health Day (WHD), observed every year on April 7, marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948. Every year it focuses on a specific public health concern. In addition to focusing on the journey to achieving Health For All, which is this year’s theme, the WHO is observing its 75th anniversary under the theme 75 Years of Improving Public Health. Health for All, this year, means every child has the same access to care.

Covid-19, conflicts, climate changes and commercial causes of ill health, like unhealthy foods and tobacco, offer real reminders of how precarious our lives are without constant commitment to advancing our collective well-being. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of investing in healthcare systems and their preparedness. It has also exposed the inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes, with marginalised communities and low-income countries bearing the brunt of the pandemic‘s impact.

The right to health is a basic human right. Yet, nearly a third of the global population is not able to access essential health services. The Covid-19 pandemic, other health emergencies, humanitarian and climate crises, economic challenges and wars have made every nation’s journey to achieving health for all more urgent. Now is the time for leaders to take action and for societies to hold the leaders accountable.

According to the WHO, at least half the world’s population does not receive the essential health services they need. In 2017, 5.4 million children under the age of five died. Half of these deaths resulted from conditions that could have been prevented or treated. Healthcare costs have pushed 100 million people into poverty. It is interesting to note that more people have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. Weak health systems contribute to the death of 6.6 million children around the world every year. Over 800 women die every day due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Lockdowns and border closures have affected the production and distribution of medicines, which could lead to price hikes and supply issues. 94 percent of all maternal deaths are in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

The Sustainable Development Goal 3 is to ensure healthy life and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal 6 is to safeguard the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Progress in its achievement contributes to progress towards other Goals, and action on other Goals in turn contributes to attaining Goal 3. Most of the Goals also have some direct health targets.

After the 18th Amendment to the constitution, health is a primary responsibility of the provincial governments. Healthcare delivery has traditionally been jointly administered by the federal and provincial governments with districts mainly responsible for implementation. Empowered district governments can help make Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centres more effective. These programmes are limited in their scope. This is why Pakistan’s healthcare system is still inefficient in providing health services for all.

National Health Vision 2016-2025 has been developed to give way to the more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the context of health, making it a key priority. The vision aims to improve the health of all Pakistanis, particularly women and children, through universal access to quality essential health services and ensuring a focus on vulnerable groups, delivered through strong and responsive health systems.

The National Health Vision 2025 has been designed in line with the WHO health system framework to provide future directions for national health planning and health sector governance in Pakistan.

With the emergence of Covid-19 in Pakistan, the entire system faced various problems owing to the limitations of the healthcare system, poor infrastructure, uneven access to healthcare, resistance from various social, political, cultural and religious groups, political instability, economic fragilities and mistrust. Due to the ever-increasing population, unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, poor socioeconomic conditions, low health awareness and inadequate vaccination coverage, Pakistan bears a significant portion of the regional burden of many communicable diseases and is at high risk of epidemics due to infectious diseases.

Despite an extensive healthcare infrastructure accessible worldwide, healthcare delivery suffers from issues like high population growth, uneven distribution of health professionals, insufficient funding and limited access to quality healthcare services. To make health for all a reality, we need individuals and communities with access to high-quality health services so that they can care for their own and their families’ health.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said in his message this year, “The history of WHO demonstrates what is possible when nations come together for a common purpose. We have much to be proud of… [there is] much work to do to realise our founding vision of the highest attainable standard of health for all people. We continue to face vast inequities in access to health services; major gaps in the world’s defences against health emergencies; and threats from health-harming products and the climate crisis. We can only meet these global challenges with global cooperation”.

The writer is a playwright and a freelance journalist. He can be reached at pashajaved1@gmail.com and his blogging site: soulandland.com