ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to recruit 46,000 community-based lady health workers (LHWs) during the next five years, senior officials of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations said.
According to officials, at present, nationwide a total of 89,000 community-based lady health workers are operating and within the next five years, the ministry, in consultation with other stakeholders has decided to take the number to 135,000.
The officials said this will not only create more job opportunities in primary healthcare facilities but also help improve engagement of private sector general practitioners for the provision of essential health services.
Community-based lady health workers are rendering great services in the primary healthcare sector countrywide and their contribution from the polio eradication programme to midwife services is tremendous and the government aims to not only increase their number but will also bring more incentives for them.
The officials said that Pakistan has reported only three polio cases so far in 2023, from a bordering district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which reflects the aggressive polio vaccination campaign schedule being implemented in the country. The officials said close coordination with the Afghanistan Polio Programme is being maintained for the vaccination of the population on the move between two countries and the ones residing in bordering areas and settlements.
The officials said that recently, Dr Nadeem Jan, Federal Caretaker Minister for National Health Services during his visit to Cairo on the 70th World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee meeting had shared the details of Pakistan’s health sector reforms for the future as “Health for All by All is everyone’s business”.
The officials said that reforms in the health sector also include the contribution of governments, civil society, development partners, the private sector, academia, local communities, and health practitioners. We must all work hand-in-hand with a belief that strong health systems will protect everyone.
The officials said that in order to achieve universal health coverage, by providing access to quality essential health services without financial hardship, Pakistan became the first country in the world to adopt Disease Control Priorities – edition III.
Accordingly, evidence-informed Essential Package of Health Services has been developed at the national and provincial levels. “We are now moving from DCP3 Country Translation to implementation stage, mainly for District EPHS implementation through government financing, while development partners are providing support to fill the gaps.”
Pakistan has completed the Cross Programmatic Efficiency Analysis (CPEA) to review support from Global Health Initiatives (GHI) including the Global Fund to fight against AIDS, TB and malaria. We need to review the recommendations and start a reform process for effective use of GHI resources through an integrated approach, he said.
Moreover, Pakistan at the federal and provincial levels is prioritising hospital sector reforms and has recently adopted the WHO framework for action for the hospital sector.
To reduce catastrophic health expenditure for indoor services, Pakistan is implementing the Health Insurance Programme (HIP) in two provinces and three federating areas. In 2023, all arrangements have been finalised to expand the programme in the province of Balochistan too.
The officials said that the country was the current chair of the Global Health Security Agenda, which is a framework for International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, is to host the Global Health Security Summit 2023 on 1-2 December 2023.
The summit’s primary objectives are to sensitize and engage global leaders and partners to work jointly towards an equitable, safer and healthier world; facilitate a mutual exchange of knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and also showcase member states’ dedication to fulfilling their obligations under the GHS /IHR agenda.
Moreover, it would also be a unique opportunity to develop new partnerships in areas of health security.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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