PAKISTAN Global Health Care Zohra, Allison, Julie, and Renee RN to BSN Program Health Science Division Zohra, Allison, Julie, and Renee PAKISTAN Introduction Country/ Healthcare System/ Life Expectancy Rates WHO Rank/ Expenditure per capita Top 3 Non-communicable Diseases Unique Health Practices Pakistan is a country rich in culture, which plays a role in many of its health practices . Autopsy is not encouraged because it is considered disrespectful to the body, especially the female body. Many Pakistani patients will avoid taking medications from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan (June). WHO ranking 122 of 190. 2.7% of GDP (2012) is spent on Health Care in Pakistan. To compare Pakistan’s spending, the United States’ Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2012) is 17.9. The top non-communicable diseases in Pakistan are cardiovascular diseases, mental health conditions, and injuries. Recently, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancer have been increasing. Interesting Facts about NCD in Pakistan From the WHO 24.3% of people over the age of 18 have hypertension. 25% of people over age 40 have coronary artery disease. 34% of people in Pakistan suffer from depression. Rates of depression in women there are twice as high as in men. NCD account for 59% of the disease burden, 41% are from communicable diseases and other factors. Pakistan is the sixth most populous country (185 million people) in the world. 64% of its population live in rural areas and 43% are illiterate. Life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2012) 64/66. Pakistan has a multi-tiered and mixed health care system. Their primary care system is not well programmed for preventative services. 78.08% of the population pays out of pocket at the point of health care. The private sector provides three-quarters of the health services, and physicians outnumber nurses and midwives by a ratio of about 2:1. Top 3 Communicable Diseases Conclusions The major communicable diseases in Pakistan are malaria, tuberculosis, and measles. Pakistani’s who cannot get proper immunization, shelter, and hygiene are more likely to contract Malaria. The main risk factors for Tuberculosis are malnutrition and unhygienic foods. Malnutrition is mostly prevalent in the rural and poverty stricken regions of Pakistan. Pakistan is a country with a fragmented health care system. There is a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Challenges facing this country in improving health care outcomes include poverty, lack of education, and underfunding. Priorities for improving outcomes in Pakistan set by the WHO include improvements to policy making, service delivery, immunizations, and disease prevention. References International Centre for Migration Health and Development . (2013, May 8). Addressing the Burden of Infectious Diseases in Pakistan. Retrieved April 28, 2015, from ICMHD's Blog: https://icmhd.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/addressing-the-burden-of-infectious-diseases-in-pakistan/ Nishtar, S., Bhutta, Z. A., Jafar, T. H., Ghaffar, A., Akhtar, T., Bengali, K., et al. (2013). Health Reform in Pakistan: A Call to Action. The Lancet , 381, 2291-2297. The World Bank. (2011, February). NCDs Policy Brief-Pakistan. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from World Bank Web site: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/223546-1296680097256/7707437-1296680114157/NCD_PK_Policy_Feb_2011.pdf World Health Organization. (2013, May). Country Cooperation Strategy at a Glance. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from World Health Organization Web site: http://www.who.int/countryfocus World Health Organization. (2015). World Health Organization Pakistan. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from World Health Organization Web site: http://www.who.int/countries/pak/en/ World Health Organization. (2014). World Health Statistics 2014. WHO Press.