Islamabad - The government in the last four years attained major health sector reforms geared towards achieving the sustainable development goals, Federal Health Minister Saira Afzal Tarar said on Saturday.
She said that the immunisation programme for children and mothers in Pakistan was on upward trajectory. She added that Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation has presented Pakistan as a model country for undertaking sweeping reforms to improve the efficiency and coverage of immunisation programme. She said Pakistan’s support from Global Fund and GAVI are products of World Economic Forum.
She also highlighted the successful implementation of The Fund-Single Streamline Funding Round of 10 grants worth $30.2 million. She said the country secured $52 million to implement the malaria interventions in 48 endemic districts of Pakistan under New Funding Model of The Global Fund.
The minister shared that Pakistan has launched its largest ever health programme for the poor and marginalised under the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme.
The programme is providing best quality health services to 3.1 million families across Pakistan and is in the process of covering the entire population living below the poverty line.
The country despite immense challenges has had its lowest ever cases last year and is close stopping poliovirus transmission.
She informed the forum that tremendous progress has been achieved towards eradicating polio which has been acknowledged by highest monitoring bodies like Independent Monitoring Board and Technical Advisory Group.
She said though health is a devolved subject under the 18th constitutional amendment, the federal government took major initiatives to mobilise resources, regulate the health sector and coordinate with the provinces to achieve shared goals and standardized services.
National Health Vision in line with Sustainable Development Goals was a major landmark that provided strategic direction to all stakeholders including provincial governments.
