DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY

National Health Policy of Pakistan

Pakistan’s National Health Policy (NHP) serves as a comprehensive guide for addressing the
country's health challenges and needs. It aims to enhance healthcare delivery, improve access to
services, and ensure equal health outcomes across different population groups. Below is a detailed
overview of the NHP’s introduction, main categories, goals, and frameworks, along with examples:

1. Introduction to Pakistan’s National Health Policy

The National Health Policy serves as the cornerstone of Pakistan's healthcare system, steering
public health priorities and initiatives to tackle major health concerns. Focusing on universal
healthcare, the policy seeks to strengthen health systems, improve service delivery, and achieve
better health outcomes for all citizens. It addresses both communicable and non-communicable
diseases, with a strong focus on prevention, equitable service access, and the socio-economic
determinants of health.

The policy is aligned with Pakistan’s international commitments, particularly the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 3, which aims to ensure good health and well-being for
all. It also responds to emerging health challenges such as population growth, urbanization, and the
effects of climate change on health.

2. Categories of the National Health Policy

The National Health Policy is divided into several key categories, each focusing on different
aspects of healthcare delivery and public health promotion:

1. Primary Healthcare: This category emphasizes strengthening the basic level of healthcare,
which serves as the first point of contact for most people. The policy aims to improve Basic
Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) to deliver preventive and basic
curative services, particularly in rural areas.

2. Maternal and Child Health: With Pakistan’s high maternal and child mortality rates, this
category focuses on improving healthcare for mothers, newborns, and children initiatives
 include enhancing access to skilled birth attendants, vaccinations, and nutritional support.

3. Communicable Disease Control: This category targets infectious diseases such as polio,
tuberculosis (TB), malaria, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. The policy promotes vaccination
campaigns, public awareness initiatives, and accessible treatments for these diseases.

4. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs): Recognizing the growing prevalence of conditions

like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, the policy outlines strategies to
prevent, manage, and treat NCDs.

5. Emergency Preparedness and Response: This category focuses on improving the

response to health emergencies, such as natural disasters, epidemics, and other crises. It
involves building emergency response systems and ensuring the availability of adequate
healthcare infrastructur
Environmental Health and Climate Change: Acknowledging the role of environmental factors
in health, this category focuses on mitigating health risks from pollution, water contamination,
and climate change.

2. Objectives of the National Health Policy

The National Health Policy of Pakistan focuses on several key objectives to improve the healthcare
system:

• "Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Ensure access to necessary healthcare for all without
financial hardship, including health insurance and free services for the underserved."
Example: The Sehat Sahulat Program provides health insurance to low-income families.

• "Reduction of Health Inequities: Bridge the gap between urban and rural health services,
prioritizing underserved populations."
Example: Increasing Basic Health Units in rural areas to enhance healthcare access.

• "Strengthening Health Systems: Improve healthcare infrastructure, training, and supply chains
for consistent service availability."
Example: Investments in training Lady Health Workers (LHWs) for better community-level care.

• "Improvement of Maternal and Child Health Outcomes: Reduce maternal and infant mortality
through improved services and vaccination coverage."
Example: The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to boost immunization rates.

• "Prevention and Control of Diseases: Reduce the incidence of infectious and lifestyle-related
diseases through prevention and awareness campaigns."
Example: Polio vaccination and anti-smoking campaigns.

• "Enhancement of Environmental and Occupational Health: Address environmental and

workplace factors impacting public health."
Example: Efforts to improve air quality and water safety.
Frameworks:

o Basic Health Services Package (BHSP): Standardize services at primary

healthcare levels. Example: Essential services like maternal care at BHUs.
o Family Planning Framework: Address population growth with reproductive
health services. Example: NGO collaborations for family planning education.
o Disease Surveillance (IDSR): Monitor and respond to infectious diseases.
Example: COVID-19 response via IDSR.
o Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Leverage private sector resources for
healthcare. Example: Sehat Sahulat Program partnership with private hospitals.
o Health Workforce Development: Train more healthcare professionals. Example:
Training and deploying LHWs.
o Health Information System (HIS): Collect and analyze health data for better
policy decisions. Example: District Health Information System (DHIS).

Advantages:
o Access to Healthcare: Expands healthcare services, particularly in remote
areas. Example: Mobile clinics for rural regions.

o Disease Prevention: Reduces communicable diseases through national

vaccination programs. Example: Polio eradication efforts.

o Maternal and Child Health Improvement: Lower maternal and infant

mortality rates. Example: MCH services via LHWs.

o Economic Benefits: A healthier population contributes to economic

productivity. Example: Preventive programs reduce healthcare costs.

o Skilled Workforce Development: Improves medical education and training.

Example: Nurse and midwife training.

Disadvantages:
o Funding Constraints: Limited budgets hinder policy goals. Example: Delays in
infrastructure projects.

o Implementation Challenges: Bureaucratic issues and political instability affect

 progress. Example: Polio eradication setbacks due to security concerns.

o Professional Shortages: Lack of skilled healthcare workers in rural areas.

Example: Understaffed BHUs.

o Urban-Rural Disparities: Urban areas have better services than rural ones.
Example: Limited tertiary healthcare in rural regions.

o Over-Reliance on Donors: Dependency on international aid for certain

programs. Example: Polio vaccination efforts depend on foreign funding.

National Drug Policy of Pakistan

1. Introduction: The National Drug Policy (NDP) regulates the pharmaceutical industry,
ensuring the availability of safe and affordable medicines in line with WHO guidelines.

2. Categories:
o Essential Medicines: List of vital medicines for public health needs.
o Manufacturing and Quality Control: Ensures drug safety through Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
o Drug Pricing and Accessibility: Controls drug prices for affordability.
o Drug Registration and Regulation: Ensures drug quality and proper registration.
o Narcotics Control: Prevents drug misuse through regulation.
o Research and Development (R&D): Encourages innovation in the pharmaceutical
sector.

3. Objectives:
o Access to Essential Medicines: Ensure availability of critical medicines.
o Safe, Effective Drugs: Prevent substandard and counterfeit drugs.
o Regulate Drug Pricing: Control prices to make medicines affordable.
o Encourage Local Production: Promote domestic drug manufacturing.
o Drug Misuse Control: Regulate narcotics to prevent abuse.
o Training and Awareness: Educate healthcare providers and the public on rational
drug use.

4. Frameworks and Strategies:

 o Regulatory Bodies: DRAP oversees drug regulation.
o Quality Control Laboratories: Ensure drug safety before market release.
o Licensing System: Ensure compliance with standards.
o Import/Export Policies: Guide pharmaceutical trade.
o Training Programs: Improve skills of healthcare and regulatory staff.

5. Advantages:
o Improved Drug Quality: Ensures safe and effective drugs. Example: Batch testing to
prevent counterfeit drugs.
o Enhanced Accessibility: Affordable medicines for low-income populations.
Example: Essential Medicines List prioritizes access.
o Support for Local Industry: Reduces reliance on imports, benefiting the economy.
o Controlled Drug Misuse: Reduces narcotics abuse through strict regulations.
o International Standards: Aligns with WHO guidelines for better healthcare quality.

6. Disadvantages:

o Implementation Issues: Inadequate funding and regulatory staff hinder enforcement.

Example: Counterfeit drugs still circulate due to weak enforcement.
o Pricing Control Challenges: Balancing affordability with industry profitability.
o Limited R&D Capacity: Lack of resources for extensive local drug research.
o Counterfeit Drugs: Persistent issue despite regulations.
o Narcotics Control Issues: Limited resources for fully controlling illegal drug trade.

7. Examples of Impact:
o Polio Campaigns: Access to vaccines for national immunization programs.
o DRAP’s Role in Quality Control: Enforcement of GMP standards.
o Price Capping: Making essential medicines like insulin affordable for diabetic
patients