The Peoples Government placed special emphasis on health, education and population planning under its Social Action Programme. These programmes were designed to improve the human resource situation in the country and bring services to the peoples doorstep.

A. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR 1993-96

• There was a seven fold increase in Health Budget from 1993 to 1996. 60% of allocation earmarked for Primary Health Care (PHC) Programmes;

• Programme instituted for training and development of 100,000 Lady Health Workers (LHW) to deliver PHC, mother & child care, immunization, free medicines, family planning guidance & services health education, pre & post natal care through a direct village & mohalla based approach. By November 1996 50,000 LHW's had been trained and were serving in the field to provide access to the under-served areas. This was Pakistan's largest-ever women employment program [introduced by non-other than the world's first women Prime Minister];

• National anti-polio drive started and in three years immunized millions of children. Pakistan is now on its way of being polio free by year 2000;

• Medical education reform - 4 major medical colleges (one in each Province) started community:

• Oriented medical education to respond to the real health needs of the masses and the epidemiological trends;

• Inclusion of family planning and primary health care was made compulsory in all medical college courses and in the secondary school curriculum;

• Greater autonomy was given to medical colleges for defining curriculum. Admissions were based on national testing service so as to ensure fairness and integrity of exams, and to establish national standards;

• Self-financing fee plan introduced, based on the principle that those who can afford to should pay, scholarships to be provided for needy students, self-financing fee plan enhances income for the medical colleges;

• Higher qualification standards established by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council in line with modern medical education requirements in the developed countries;

• To reduce incidence of goiter, cretinism, mal-formation and mental retardation, a large scale iodination of salt campaign was launched. 1.5 million persons were given iodized oil therapy. 13,580 tons of iodized salt was distributed. 26% of all salt in Pakistan was iodized;

• There was a strengthening of health management information systems to provide up-dated, reliable and accurate data on health for policy formulation, programme design and realistic planning;

• Policy framework and incentives were announced to promote private sector investment in the health services, specially in the tertiary area so that Government resources can be increasingly ear-marked for promotive and preventive health care for the poor, specially the rural poor;

• There was a quantum increases in the nurses training programmes, up-gradation of nurse's posts, increase in the salary of nurse's and their status;

• Aggressive public awareness programmes were launched to disseminate information about AIDS, nutrition, malaria, healthy life-style, anti-smoking, mother and child care tuberculosis control, family planning and primary health care;

• Low-cost medicine were made available through the People's pharmacies located within the hospital premises to provide 24 hours service. Availability of essential drugs at 15% lower than market rates;

• Policies were launched for involvement of the community in planning, management, partial-financing, and monitoring of public health services through village committees;

• Total eradication of guinea worm from Pakistan was achieved in 1996;

• Burn units established. One in each major provincial hospital;

• Human resource development in the health sector with a focus on clinical, laboratory & radiology technicians training for lady health visitors, school health visitors, traditional birth attendants, nutritionists, hospital administration was started;

• For first time policies were formulated on essential drugs, vaccine and drug quality assurance, drug pricing, rational drug use and basic manufacture.

B. HEALTH AGENDA FOR 1997-2002

• Enhance Health Budget to 3.5% of GDP by 2002;

• Continue all health initiatives started by Peoples' Government from 1993-1996 according to Health Policy priorities;

• Prepare and implement programmes to expand primary health care coverage so that every citizen is covered by 2005 through the Basic Health Units (BHUS), Dispensaries, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), LHWs, district and city hospitals;

• Rationalize health manpower needs by training more health service providers, nurses, para-medics country doctors, technologists, nutritionists, school health visitors, hospital administrators;

• Promote private-sector investment in basic manufacturing and development of raw materials and the indigenous pharmaceutical industry. Specially promote national manufacture of essential drugs;

• Promote operational research, management, increase institutional capacity for research;

• Develop a private sector managed health care insurance for government employees. Promote health insurance for private citizens;

• Ensure clean drinking water for all by 2002;

• Ban medical treatment overseas at government expense for parliamentarians and government servants;

• Make Pakistan polio-free by 2000;

• Ensure by 1998 100,000 LHWs are trained and providing services in the field. Train an additional 50,000 LHW's by 2000;

• Launch a national campaign against measles, whooping cough and tetanus;

• Prepare rationalized policy for future requirement of doctors and other health service providers;

• Achieve universal salt iodination by 2002;

• Incentives for private sector investment in tertiary care i.e. highly specialized hospitals for heart, kidney & cancer;

• Ensure all major city hospitals to have burn units by 2002. District Hospitals by 2010;

• Actively promote women's jobs in Health Sector;

• Establish an autonomous board for drug registration and pricing with complete transparent procedures;

• Promote generic medicine to provide cheaper medicines.