Health policy refers to plans and actions undertaken by governments and institutions to achieve specific health care goals for a society. National health policies in Pakistan aim to improve access to health care, ensure equitable access, and increase investments in health. However, policies have achieved limited success due to issues like lack of coordination, poor resource allocation, and inadequate capacity. Effective policy formulation requires situational analysis, increased funding, community involvement, and monitoring and evaluation.

1. Health Policy
Dr Athar Khan
Associate Professor
Department of Community Medicine
Liaquat College of Medicine & Dentistry
matharm@yahoo.com

2. Talk to Students
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Policy is a law, regulation, procedure, administrative
action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments
and other institutions.

5. • Health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions
that are undertaken to achieve specific health care
goals within a society.
• Health policy →defines a vision for the future →
establish targets and points of reference for the short
and medium term → expected roles of different
groups →builds consensus and informs people.
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6. • Pakistan is a signatory to Universal Declaration of
Human Rights- health is a basic human right.
• Lower middle income country
• The share of health expenditure in total
expenditures/GDP is the most significant variable
affecting health status in a country.
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8. • National health policies, strategies, and plans play an
essential role in defining a country's vision, priorities,
budgetary decisions and course of action for
improving and maintaining the health of its people.
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9. Categories of Health Policy
• Personal health care policy
• Pharmaceutical policy
• Policies associated with public health
– Vaccination policy
– Tobacco control policy
– Breast feeding promotion policy
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10. Spectrum of Areas Covered by Health Policy
• Financing
• Delivery of health care
• Access to care
• Quality of care
• Health equity
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11. Objectives of National Health Policy
• Achieve an acceptable standard of improve health
• Increase access to public health system
• Ensure equitable access to health care
• Create new health infrastructures in areas deficient
• Upgrade existing health infrastructures
• Promoting public private partnership
• Suggest ways to increase investment in health
• Promote stewardship in health for effective
monitoring and evaluation of current policies
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12. • How do we make policy?
– Reactionary, Luck/Accident, Visionary
– Pakistan – informal approach
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13. Health Policy Analysis
• A multidisciplinary approach to public policy that
aims to explain the interaction between institutions,
interests and ideas in the policy process. OR
• Policy analysis is “analysis OF the policy process:
how problems are defined, agendas set, policy
formulated, decisions made and policy evaluated and
implemented”
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14. Frameworks for Health Policy Analysis
Health Policy Triangle - Walt and Gilson (1994)
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15. Frameworks for Health Policy Analysis
Networks Frameworks
A tool for describing systems of interactions and
interconnectedness between groups of actors. (Thatcher
1998).
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16. The Health Policy Journey in Pakistan since its creation in 1947 to present
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Pakistan Health Policy Historical Perspective

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19. Inadequate Achievement of Health Policy
• Lack of coordination between policy makers and
implementer’s
• Lack of stewardship
• Want for team effort
• Poor resource allocation and utilization
• Inadequate manpower
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20. Formulation of Effective Health Policies
• Situational analysis
• Increase funding
• Training and capacity development
• Community involvement
• Public private partnership
• Stabilizing population
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Transperency and accountability
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Millennium
Development
Goals (MDGs)
2000 - 2015

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As percentage of GDP, health expenditure has improved
from 0.91 percent in 2016-17 to 0.97 percent in 2017-18

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2015 - 2030

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Muhammad Waseem Sajjad. National Health Policy 2009 PPT

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Muhammad Waseem Sajjad. National Health Policy 2009 PPT

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Muhammad Waseem Sajjad. National Health Policy 2009 PPT

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National Health Vision 2025
The vision of National Health vision 2025 is to improve the
health of all Pakistanis, particularly women and children,
through universal access to quality essential health services and
ensuring financial protection, with a focus on vulnerable
groups, and delivered through resilient and responsive health
systems.

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National Health Vision 2025
The National Health vision 2025 has been designed in line with
WHO health system framework using the 6 thematic pillars;
1. Health Financing
2. Health Service delivery
3. Human Resource for Health
4. Health Information Systems
5. Governance
6. Essential Medicines & Technology and an addition area of
Cross-sectoral linkages.

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DR ATHAR KHAN
MBBS, MCPS, DPH, DCPS-HCSM, DCPS-HPE, MBA, PGD-
STATISTICS, CCRP
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
LIAQUAT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
KARACHI, PAKISTAN
0092-3232135932