NHSP Sets To Transform Healthcare Landscape: Health Secretary

APP

Islamabad: The government has planned to create the national health support package 2022-2026 (NHSP) in its efforts to achieve targets to ensure universal health coverage (UHC).

While attending a high-level meeting regarding UHC at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Ministry of Health Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shalwani said that the UHC is included in national health sector priorities as well as in the important goals of Pakistan’s National Health Plan 2016-2025.

Iftikhar Ali stated that the country’s health system faced challenges due to the coronavirus and that millions of people were deprived of health services as a result of pandemic.

“I hope this support package will help in achieving universal health coverage at the international, national and regional levels,” Federal Secretary added.

It is to mention that UHC is about ensuring that people have access to the adopted health care they need without suffering financial hardship. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on ‘Global Health and Foreign Policy’, in 2012, urging countries to accelerate progress on UHC.

In 2018, Pakistan became a signatory to the UHC Global Compact to achieve UHC by 2030.

The development of a UHC essential package of health services (EPHS) is a critical element of Pakistan’s roadmap to reach that goal as outlined in its National Vision 2016-2025.