1

Topic;
A brief study of the health issues in Pakistan

 Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is located in

South Asia. Pakistan is the sixth-most populous country in the world, with
about 201 million people. High population, unfavorable climatic conditions
and the lack of educational and economic development put Pakistani citizens
in an unhealthy environment.
WHo Pakistan ranks;
 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan ranks 122 out
of 190 countries in terms of healthcare standards. Here are some of the most
common diseases in Pakistan
Health issues in Pakistan;
1. Communicable diseases
 “Communicable diseases have always been the prime cause of mortalities
in Pakistan. The reason for the rapid spread of these diseases include
overcrowded cities, unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, poor
socioeconomic conditions, low health awareness and inadequate vaccination
coverage”. The epidemic of these diseases is also observed during conflict.
Acute Respiratory infection;
 (51%): Among the victims of ARI, most vulnerable are children whose
immune systems have been weakened by malnutrition. In 1990, National
ARI Control Programme was started in order to reduce the mortality
concerned with pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. In 2006, there
were 16,056,000 reported cases of ARI, out of which 25.6% were children
under age of five.
Viral hepatitis;
 (7.5%) Viral Hepatitis, particularly that caused by types B and C are major
epidemics in Pakistan. Pakistan has the world’s second highest prevalence of
 2

hepatitis C, with Egypt topping the list. Survey done in 2007 found that
close to 7% of people in the biggest province of the country had hepatitis C,
while around 5% of people were infected in the entire country. Pakistan
remains in the intermediate prevalence area for Hepatitis B with an
estimated carrier rate of 2.5%. The main cause remains massive overuse of
therapeutic injections and re-use of syringes during these injections in the
private sector healthcare.
Tuberculosis;
 According to National Institute of Health presently the prevalence of TB in
Pakistan is 348 per 100,000. Whereas, number of new cases are reportedly
276 per 100,000 population.National TB Control Program (NTP) was
renewed by Ministry of Health subsequent to declare TB as a national
emergency in Pakistan in 2001 and is currently working along with National
Institute of Health, Pakistan.[15] The country is said to have the fourth
highest prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) globally. Factors
causing this are delayed diagnosis, unsupervised, improper drug regimens,
lack of follow-up and little or no social support programme.
Malaria (16%):
 It is a problem faced by the lower-class people in Pakistan. The unsanitary
conditions and stagnant water bodies in the rural areas and city slums
provide excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Use of nets and
mosquito repellents is becoming more common. Almost 177 million are at
risk of malaria,with 3.5 million presumed and confirmed malaria cases
annually.
 Diarrhea (15%): There were around 4,500,000 reported cases in 2006, 14%
of which were children under the age of five.
 Dysentery (8%) and Scabies (7%)
 3

2. Non-communicable diseases;
 Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes,
cancer and coronary heart disease share 20.5% the burden of diseases and
2.5% are disabled
Diabetes;
 Pakistan has the highest diabetes rates in all of South Asia, as about seven
million people are affected by the disease. Diabetes is a disease that affects
the patient’s body’s ability to respond to the hormone insulin, which then
causes unusual metabolism of carbohydrates and high levels of glucose in
the blood and urine. If not treated, the high glucose levels can cause damage
to blood vessels and parts of the body.
 The high diabetes rate may be a result of the unhealthy food industry in
Pakistan. The Diabetic’s Institute of Pakistan (DIP) has been fighting against
diabetes since it was founded in 1996. DIP offers diabetes awareness
programs to provide useful knowledge to the patients and the public, as well
as pharmacy services for patients.
Cancer;
 Representing 8 percent of all deaths in Pakistan, cancer is a major health
problem for Pakistanis. Lung cancer and breast cancer are the most common
 4

forms in Pakistan. A recent study shows that about one in every nine women
in Pakistan has breast cancer. Pakistan also has the highest consumption of
tobacco in South Asia. A large number of the patients are not aware that they
have cancer until they are in critical stages of cancer, and they usually do not
have the access to proper treatment.
 In 2013, Pakistan established a cancer registry that compiles data on cancer
patients from across the country, which is an important step in cancer
prevention and control in Pakistan. In 2016, 18 cancer hospitals in Pakistan
were working on hospital-based registries. These hospitals provide about 80
percent of the cancer treatment in Pakistan.
Dengue Fever;
 Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted by the bite of
an Aedes mosquito infected with the dengue virus. It cannot be spread
directly from person to person. Some of the disease’s symptoms include
high fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and skin rash. Dengue fever
may be mistaken for the flu or other viral infections. However, dengue fever
is a severe form of the virus and may cause serious diseases including
enlargement of the liver and failure of the circulatory system if not treated in
time.
 In 2011, there was a dengue outbreak in Pakistan, and more than 250,000
suspected cases of dengue fever were reported. Between 2009 to 2011,
dengue fever caused 348 deaths in Pakistan. In order to prevent outbreaks of
dengue fever from happening again in the future, Pakistan’s government
strengthened surveillance and general preventive measures, improved
clinical management of patients and implemented targeted vector control
activities, according to the WHO. In addition, the government also organized
public awareness campaigns for risk mitigation.
CVD :
 An Epidemiologic Transition. A few of the estimates about the common
illness among Pakistani adult population includes 41% hypertension, 21%
tobacco use, 17.3%
3. Controllable diseases;
Cholera:
 5

 As of 2006, there were a total of 4,610 cases of suspected cholera. However,

the floods of 2010 suggested that cholera transmission may be more
prevalent than previously understood. Furthermore, research from the Aga
Khan University suggests that cholera may account for a quarter of all
childhood diarrhea in some parts of rural Sindh.
Measles:
 As of 2008, there were a total of 441 reported cases of measles in Pakistan.
Meningococcal meningitis:
 As of 2006, there were a total of 724 suspected cases of Meningococcal
meningitis.
Poliomyelitis:
 Pakistan is one of the few countries in which poliomyelitis has not been
eradicated. As of 2008, there were a total of 89 reported cases of polio in
Pakistan. Polio cases may be on an increase.The total count of polio cases in
the country reached nine in 2018
HIV/AIDS:
 Pakistan is one of the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in
which HIV infections are increasing at an alarming level since 1987. The
former National AIDS Control Programme (it was devoloped with the
Health Ministry) and the UNAIDS states that there are an estimated 97,000
HIV positive individuals in Pakistan.
Leading causes of death in Pakistan
 6

Skin Diseases;
 Eczema is the most common skin disease in Pakistan, followed by
dermatological infections including bacterial, viral, fungal, sexually
transmitted infections, drug reactions, urticarial and psoriasis
Nutrition:
 Nutritionally deprived children not only face difficulties in learning, but also
are at prime risk of getting infections, face difficulty in combating and
recovering from diseases. Whereas, extreme malnutrition can have
devastating effect on children such as stunting (45%), wasting (10.5%) and
weight gain (4.8%).[38] These deficiencies mainly include iron and iodine
deficiencies.

Obesity;
 7

 Obesity is a health issue that has attracted concern only in the past few years.
Urbanisation and an unhealthy, energy-dense diet (the high presence of oil
and fats in Pakistani cooking), as well as changing lifestyles, are among the
root causes contributing to obesity in the country.
Health infrastructure in Pakistan;
 Primary Health Care:
 It consists of basic health units, dispensaries, rural health centers, sub health
centers that include lady health workers and midwives. The basic unit
usually consists of a clinic and retention room with pharmacy, where
medicines for basic illnesses are given free of charge. There is a doctor who
is usually a general practitioner, a nurse and a midwife. The centre provides
consultation and medicines free of cost and makes referrals when necessary.
 Secondary Health Care:
 It mainly includes district hospitals or some private hospitals. In district
hospitals run by the government, the treatment comes without any cost.
However, some medicines are to be purchased by the patients and they have
to pay for a few procedures. Class “B”military hospitals also come in this
category.
 Tertiary Health Care:
 It include both private and government hospitals, well equipped to perform
minor and major surgeries. There are usually two or more in every city.
Most of the Class “A” military hospitals come in this category. Healthcare
and stay comes free of charge in government hospitals. There is also a 24
hours emergency care that usually caters to more than 350 patients every
day. They also include Tehsil headquarter hospitals.
Vaccination:
 Facing numerous minor polio epidemics, the Pakistani government has now
ruled that the polio vaccination as mandatory and indisputable. In a
statement from Pakistani Police Commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud "There is
no mercy, we have decided to deal with the refusal cases with iron hands.
Anyone who refuses [the vaccine] will be sent to jail". Apart from that,
Pakistan follows the Expanded Programme on Immunization by WHO.