ISLAMABAD - Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad, Minister of State for National Health Services, chaired an important meeting on Wednesday to discuss the National Health and Population Policy (NHPP) 2025-34, with stakeholders from the World Bank, UNFPA, and the Population Wing (M/o NHSR&C) in attendance.
The Minister emphasized the policy’s need to address Pakistan’s rising health challenges in alignment with global standards. Key priorities for the NHPP include strengthening governance through IT systems like Electronic Medical Records (EMR), enhancing health financing by increasing the health budget from 1.2% to 2% of GDP, and improving primary healthcare services, particularly in rural areas.
Dr. Ahmad also stressed empowering Lady Health Workers (LHWs) to improve family planning outreach, promoting local contraceptive production, and collecting desegregated data for better policymaking. Stakeholders proposed expanding LHWs’ role in family planning and conducting national awareness campaigns to promote family planning and female empowerment.
The NHPP 2025-34 aims to provide a unified framework to strengthen Pakistan’s health and population sectors, improve healthcare delivery, and advance global health commitments.
