April 7 is celebrated as the health day worldwide. The World Health Day provides an occasion for the countries to look at their health care system and plan accordingly to meet the millennium development goals (MDG).
Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), on the eve of the World Health Day suggested a six-point plan to improve health care of Pakistani people by governmental and non-governmental interventions.
The points include: more expenses on health, focus on primary prevention, nutrition is important than medications, strengthening basic health unit, improving public awareness, providing free vaccines and cheaper drugs.
The status of public health in Pakistan is at the lowest level in the world. Our infant mortality rate is 90/1,000 and maternal mortality due to delivery complications is 45/10,000. One out of three babies is born with low birth weight. We are spending less than one per cent of our GNP on health. The federal budget allocated Rs 240 per person for health in the previous budget. The amount of the federal health budget is less than the amount of the revenue collected from tobacco companies.
Hundreds of thousands of people die of preventable infectious diseases and gastric infections due to unclean water and poor nutrition. According to a survey, one-thirds of population above 45 is suffering from high blood pressure, and about 10 per cent population is carrier of hepatitis. These figures are alarming and demand an urgent action. Death toll due to smoking alone is twice more than 2005 earthquake-related deaths.
