• Health of the Nation Report 2025 launched
• Points the finger at ‘state failures’
• Says people dying without treatment due to surging prices of drugs, medical procedures

KARACHI: Presenting a bleak picture of Pakistan’s health sector, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has said that the state has not only persistently failed in delivering fundamental human needs — access to clean drinking water and proper disposal of liquid and solid waste — it has deprived people of the right to healthcare as today the masses can neither afford drugs for common ailments, nor afford minor surgical treatment.

The PMA launched the Health of the Nation Report 2025 here at PMA House, which highlights a multitude of interconnected challenges, from alarming maternal and child mortality rates to the pervasive threat of preventable diseases, highlighting the urgent need for reforms.

“Unfortunately, the public health situation has worsened in the country. If you look at the figures over the past five years, you will see successive governments have increased drug prices at least 15 times,” regretted PMA-Centre secretary general Abdul Ghafoor Shoro.

Referring to recent media reports, he said the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (PPMA) was once again urging an increase in the prices of 262 essential medicines, citing unsustainable costs.

“For the common citizen, the implications are dire. Medicine prices have escalated beyond the reach of the poor and are increasingly burdening the middle class. In a country where public hospitals already lack adequate healthcare facilities, the surge in medicine prices has forced many to die without any treatment,” Dr Shoro said.

Preventable diseases

The experts said that Pakistan’s health sector remained in dire straits and one of the key reasons was absence of investment in preventive healthcare.

Providing clean drinking water, they said, could reduce 60 per cent cases of water-borne diseases and eliminating mosquitoes could also reduce vector-borne diseases by 40 per cent.

“Contaminated water accounts for 40% of annual deaths in Pakistan, surpassing the fatalities from terrorism and natural disasters. Poor water quality is responsible for nearly 30% of all diseases nationwide. Immediate investment in water purification and sanitation infrastructure is imperative to prevent avoidable illnesses and deaths,” said Dr Shoro.

On behalf of the association, he also shared concern on the intense resurgence of poliovirus and called for audit of funds received from donor agencies and transparent evaluation of the departments involved.

“The reported 74 cases in 2024 is just tip of the iceberg. The situation on the ground is more serious as cases are underreported,” he said, demanding immediate and aggressive action to prevent further outbreaks.

Multiple health challenges

According to the report, World Health Organisation places Pakistan at 125th out of 170 countries surveyed last year due to its critical stage in public health and population crisis.

Within an estimated population of over 253 million, growing at an alarming rate of 2.4% per annum, Pakistan is on track to reach 403 million by 2050.

“This rapid population expansion poses severe challenges in food security, healthcare, education, and housing. Unfortunately, our policymakers continue to overlook the dire consequences of unchecked population growth, failing to develop future-oriented strategies to mitigate its impact,” it says.

According to the report, Hepatitis B and C remain rampant, affecting over 15 million individuals, with approximately 150,000 new cases emerging annually.

Pakistan has a high burden of Tuberculosis (TB) ranking 5th in the world for TB prevalence.

Pakistan is also estimated to have the fourth highest prevalence of Drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) globally.

Maternal and newborn child nutrition remains a major health concern in Pakistan, affecting maternal health, infant survival, and development.

Around 14% of pregnant women are undernourished, and 42% suffer from anaemia, increasing risks of complications and low birth weight.

Deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, and protein further harm maternal health. For the newborn, 18% have low birth weight, leading to growth problems.

“Exclusive breastfeeding rates are low (48%) and early introduction of complementary foods contributes to high child malnutrition rates (over 40%). Stunting affects 40% of children under five, showing the long-term impact of poor maternal nutrition,” it says.

Pakistan, according to the report, also has a high burden of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders as compared to other countries.

Dr Ameer Muhammad Solangi and Dr Shahid Sami also spoke.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025