Indus Vitals

On World Health Day, the association flags underinvestment, inequities in Pakistan’s healthcare system IV Report KARACHI: Marking World Health Day on Tuesday (April 7), the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warned that Pakistan’s health indicators remain well below even the minimum benchmarks for developing countries, urging an urgent, science-led overhaul of public health policy and spending priorities. In a statement aligned with the World Health Organisation (WHO) theme “Together for Health: Stand with Science,” Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, PMA secretary general, said the country was entering the global observance amid a “deepening, multi-layered health crisis” driven by chronic underinvestment, weak governance and widening inequities in access to care. He regretted that public health needs continued to be overshadowed by non-essential expenditures, leaving critical infrastructure and services underfunded. Citing data from the World Bank, WHO and UNICEF, the PMA highlighted a se...

As the world marks World Health Day , the World Health Organisation highlights progress but warns of emerging health risks KARACHI: The World Health Organisation has called for renewed commitment to science and collaboration as key drivers of better health, as Pakistan joins the rest of the world in observing World Health Day on April 7. This year’s theme, “Together for health. Stand with science,” marks the anniversary of WHO’s founding and launches a year-long global campaign focused on strengthening evidence-based public health action. In a statement issued from Geneva on April 6, the WHO highlighted that human health has been transformed over the past century largely due to scientific progress and international cooperation. It noted that the global maternal mortality rate has declined by more than 40 per cent since 2000, while deaths among children under five have dropped by over half, reflecting gains driven by advances in medicine, technology and coordinated public hea...

IV Report  KARACHI: On World Health Day, April 7, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) emphasised the critical need for a strong foundation in early life to ensure a prosperous and healthy future for all Pakistani citizens. The PMA called for robust primary care investment, stressing that achieving "healthy beginnings" requires a significant overhaul and strengthening of the nation's primary healthcare infrastructure. The association urged the government to prioritise substantial investments to ensure accessible and equitable healthcare services for every Pakistani, regardless of financial standing. Key measures advocated by PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro include: - Allocating a substantial portion of the national budget to bolster primary healthcare infrastructure, including clinics, rural health centers, and basic health units. - Implementing universal health coverage , eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for essential healthcare services. - Invest...