Sustainable Development Goal 3 aspires to ensure health and well-being for all, including a bold commitment to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030. It also aims to achieve universal health coverage and provide access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines for all. Pakistan, beside other nations of world has signed the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. Improving health and nutrition of the populace is the need motivation of the present Pakistani government with expanded center on patching up and strengthening primary and secondary healthcare facilities. Fundamental health indicators to a few extents are moving forward but the pace of advance is slow.
The spending on health has been less than one percent of GDP since decades. This is one of the key structural challenge. In terms of HDI, Pakistan’s position is 150 out of 189 countries in 2017. Some slight improvement has been witnessed, as in 2012-13, 45 percent of children were stunted which dropped to 38 percent in 2017-18. Childhood wasting declined slightly from 11 percent to 7 percent, while the prevalence of underweight children declined from 30 percent to 23 percent. Childhood mortality rates have declined since 1990. Infant mortality has decreased from 86 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 61.2 in 2017. During the same time period, under-5 mortality has markedly declined from 112 to 74 deaths per 1,000 live births. Neonatal mortality declined from 55 in 2012 to 42 deaths per 1,000 live births.
An arrangement of programs and projects are on track in Pakistan to move forward health status of the individuals and to decrease burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases whereas vertical programs have been reverted to the areas. By the year 2018, the number of public sector hospitals has increased to 1,279, Basic Health Units (BHUs) progressed to 5,527, Rural Health Centers (RHCs) were expanded to 686 and dispensaries to 5,671. These offices beside 220,829 registered doctors, 22,595 enrolled dental practitioners and 108,474 enrolled medical attendants bring the current proportion of one doctor for 963 people, 9,413 people per dental specialist and accessibility of one clinic bed for 1,608 individuals.
Health expenditures by federal and provincial governments are also rapidly increasing 3.29 percent higher than corresponding period of previous year. But the expenditures are still not that much to all the population of the country. Socio-economic factors like health, education, environment etc. are closely interlinked with Human Development Indicator.
Noor-e-Kainat Welfare Trust is working to provide free, less expansive medical facilities and medicines. The trust is working to open its own welfare hospitals for better medical services and opportunities.