Enhanced funds for health catering new challenges: PM
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said budgetary allocation for health sector over the last eight years has now reached Rs. 16 billion mark, catering to new challenges and increasing demand.
He said present government accords priority to health sector and recognizes access to quality health services as an inherent right of every citizen.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a polio-free flag awarding ceremony in which district nazimeen were honoured for eradicating polio from their areas. Pakistan is on the verge of polio eradication where 80 per cent of districts are polio free for more than two years. The Prime Minister congratulated all the stakeholders including Ministry of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Local Governments, Development Partners, Civil Society for the success of this major initiative.
He assured the nazimeen that the local bodies system, launched to resolve masses problems at their doorstep, would remain intact and their role would be further strengthened in the days to come.
“While the thrust of our policy in the health sector remains on prevention, we cannot be oblivious of the need to ensure better hospital-care and easily accessible specialized medical care,” he said, adding that the ever-increasing growth in population and the consequent pressure on urban centres demands that government continues to add hospitals while continuously improving the quality of tertiary care.
He said the primary focus of government’s health policy is to prevent the spread of ailments and in this direction numerous programmes have been launched for prevention and control of deadly and debilitating diseases. The Prime Minister also mentioned new programmes for prevention and control of Hepatitis, Blindness, and Maternal and Child Health.
He highlighted the Lady Health Workers Programme and Expanded Programme on Immunization - taking the service right to the doorstep of every citizen. He said beside launching Rs.27 billion Maternal and Child Health Project recently, the government has also initiated Rs.2.8 billion project for Prevention of Blindness which will benefit two million people.
Prime Minister Aziz said the country was pursuing an ambitious plan, based on a five-point growth strategy, to achieve the targets set by the Millennium Development Goals. He said a strong, stable and economically vibrant Pakistan will be a source of strength for our people.
To achieve the objective, he said the country was pursuing programmes to provide water and energy security, development of infrastructure and human capital. He said the government believed investment in the human capital for long-term sustainable growth.
Developing our human capital through better education and healthcare is indeed the key to laying the basis of sustainable growth, progress and prosperity in the country, he added. He said the strategy in the health sector was focussed on prevention and disease control, providing maternal and child healthcare and ensuring nationwide outreach of public health facilities, better sanitation and clean water.
He said the Pakistan of today and tomorrow is not the Pakistan of yesterday. The Pakistan of tomorrow is a Pakistan of opportunity. He said all sectors of economy were being opened up for foreign investment, absorbing the revolution in technology, and seeking international economic cooperation.
Aziz said there was no room for complacency and urged continuity of reform for sustaining growth, rural development, creating job opportunities, and equitable distribution of income. He said the government has spent Rs. 1450 billion on poverty related and social sector programmes since 2000.
Highlighting the results of Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2005-06, he said this shows marked progress in social indicators specified under MDGs. He said in the health sector immunization of children (12 to 23 months) has improved from 53% in 2001-02 to 71% during 2005-06.