INVESTMENT ROUND: IMPACT STORY

Advancing universal health coverage in Pakistan

WHO-recommended primary health care model to advance universal health coverage

Despite making notable progress towards universal health coverage, half of Pakistan’s population still lacks access to most essential health services. To address this, the Government of Pakistan, in partnership with WHO and other stakeholders, is working to improve access to essential services, increase financial risk protection and promote equity in health care.

A pivotal development in this journey was the 2021 high-level Primary Health Care for Universal Health Coverage mission, organized by WHO. This recommended the development of a model of care, a holistic approach to health that encourages collaboration.

WHO orchestrated discussions between key partners to plan an effective rollout of the Unified Health Coverage Benefit Package. Following stakeholder alignment on the family practice approach to enhance primary health care (PHC), WHO assisted Pakistan in piloting a PHC-oriented model of care in Islamabad and Charsadda. This involved several initiatives.

With financial assistance from WHO, fifteen model health facilities across two districts were revitalized and upgraded.

The upgrades included the installation of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, staff rooms, electricity, furniture, medical equipment and patient waiting areas. WHO also developed comprehensive training modules and prepared master trainers with an emphasis on strengthening community engagement and adopting a family practice approach. As a result, these centres are now proficient in screening for conditions such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

This WHO-led approach has led to notable improvements in Pakistan’s health sector, particularly in noncommunicable diseases and maternal-child health.

Following the successful completion of the project’s first phase, Pakistan now stands among the pioneering nations to formulate a universal health care benefit package based on the Third edition of the Disease Control Priorities (DCP3). 3. The initiative is set to be replicated in other districts and is expected to serve as a model for other countries worldwide.

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A fully funded WHO will support Member States to provide health and advance primary health care and essential health systems capacities for universal health coverage to 5 billion people by 2028.

Advancing universal health coverage through a primary health care approach in Pakistan is an example of WHO delivering on the advancement of the primary health care approach and essential health system capacities for universal health coverage, contributing to WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14), strategic objective 3.

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