PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

➡ Concept:
•Public health is defined as the science of protecting the safety and improving the
health of communities through education, policy making and research for disease
and injury prevention.
•The field of public health administration concerns itself with administration,
leadership and management if health care system such as hospitals, networks and
public health system.
➡Why Public Health is needed?
•you can enter the health care industry in a variety of different settings.
•whatever role you choose you will have the ability to drive positive change in the
community that you serve.
•working with federal, state or local government agencies to drive new health care
policies.
•working for NGOs and non-profit organizations.
➡ Definition:
•A component of the field of public health.
•concentrates and management if people and programs.
•on day-to-day basis administration is needed to ensure that organization operate
efficiently and with success.
•PHA is a term used to encompass all the duties required in the management of
facilities that provide health care services such as hospitals, social services
organizations and government agencies.
•Public health administrators or medical and health services managers ensure that
these facilities are properly staffed and operate within the law.
➡ Public Health Administration: -
•Any personnel related to public health and having required qualification and
experience in administration and management.
•The work of a public health administrator is at the same time similar to and
different from that of persons engaged in administration in another field.
•The administrative elements are similar only the field and process are different.
•These include supervising employees, coordinating programs, preparing budgets,
monitoring programs and evaluating results and outcomes.
➡ Principles: -
•your study will start to focus on the principle’s areas. These are: -
•Studying the theory, concepts and skills of management. These includes areas
such as financial management, leadership, law, quantitative methods,
organizational behavior and planning.
•Studying the health care industry itself these include areas such as health and
human behavior, epidemiology and medical care organization
•Applying and integrating all materials obtained during the study showing a greater
understanding of management concepts and how these apply to public health
administration. This is usually done through an exam, paper or major project.

•Some of most important challenges of strengthening public health systems are in

governance and management.

Here's an overview of the health administration structure in Pakistan:

Center Level:

 Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination

(NHSRC): Responsible for formulating and implementing national health
policies, programs, and regulations. Headed by a Federal Minister and
includes various attached departments and agencies.
 Attached Departments and Agencies:
o Health Services Academy
o National Institute of Health (NIH)
o Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP)
o Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC)
 o Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) (supports healthcare
access for vulnerable populations)

Provincial Level:

 Provincial Health Departments: Each province (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan) has its own health department responsible for
implementing national policies and programs at the provincial level. Headed
by a Provincial Health Minister and includes directorates and other units.
 Directorates under Provincial Health Departments:
o Directorate of Health Services
o Directorate of Family Planning and Primary Healthcare
o Directorate of Mother and Child Health
o Directorate of Epidemiology
o Directorate of Medical Education

District Level:

 District Health Authorities (DHAs): Responsible for managing healthcare

services at the district level. Led by a District Health Officer and composed
of various health facilities.
 Health Facilities:
o District Headquarters Hospitals
o Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals
o Basic Health Units (BHUs)
o Rural Health Centers (RHCs)
o Lady Health Workers (LHWs) program (community-based healthcare
providers)

Other key players:

 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Play a significant role in

delivering healthcare services, particularly in rural areas.
 Private Sector: Provides a substantial portion of healthcare services in
Pakistan.

Challenges:

 Inadequate funding for public healthcare system

 Unequitable distribution of healthcare resources
 Shortage of qualified healthcare professionals
  Weak disease surveillance and outbreak response systems

Recent Initiatives:

 Sehat Sahulat Program (health insurance scheme)

 National Immunization Program
 Maternal and Child Health Program
 Expanded Lady Health Workers (LHWs) program

Public health administration in Pakistan is a complex system that is divided into

the public sector and the private sector.

Public Sector: The public sector provides health facilities at the primary,
secondary, and tertiary levels. The primary health care services are provided
through rural health centers (RHC) and basic health units (BHU). District
headquarters and tehsil headquarters provide secondary health care services. The
rest of the population is catered to by tertiary health care facilities, which are
affiliated with teaching hospitals in urban cities.

Private Sector: The functions of the private health sector in Pakistan can be
divided into formal and non-formal health sectors.

Governance: The health system of Pakistan is primarily governed by its provincial

authorities, though the government-led established public health care system in
Pakistan in the 1960s and 1970s. Health policy, decision-making, financing,
budgeting, resource allocation, education, and organizing public health initiatives
are predominantly governed at the federal level, which is also responsible for
regulation and coordination of health laws.

International Collaboration: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) has been working with several key public health institutions in Pakistan,
including the National Institute of Health (NIH) and provincial and district-level
offices. Alongside partners, CDC works to strengthen capacity and infrastructure
for key public health issues, including workforce development, hepatitis
surveillance, emergency and pandemic preparedness, and polio eradication.