Major Healthcare Problems in Pakistan, What to Do?

As reported by UNICEF, the infant morality rate in Pakistan is the worst in the world despite major progress during last few decades. Because of lack of resources and economic situation the rising number of healthcare problems in Pakistan is concerning. Pakistan’s 60 million people live in poverty and have no access to healthcare if they are diagnosed with any sickness. The number of hospitals, doctors and nurses is insufficient to meet the needs of unprivileged people in Pakistan. Local hospitals do provide free treatments but they cannot handle large number of people due to lack of resources. Moreover, the patients who require surgical treatment at local hospitals have to stay in waiting list for longer periods of time which results either in the death of patient or their health further deteriorates. The lack of knowledge and primary resources make it difficult for people residing in rural areas to receive timely treatment.

The following mentioned diseases are the major healthcare problems in Pakistan:

Malaria:

Malaria is a very common and widespread disease in Pakistan and affects the individuals mostly living in slums as this disease is spread by the mosquitoes that breed in filthy water and unhygienic environment. Malaria can also be fatal if not treated on time.

Tuberculosis:

Tuberculosis is another deprecatory disease which affects many individuals in Pakistan making it one of the top five countries with high risk of this disease. If can be deadly if not treated on time.

Cancer:

Another leading cause of death in Pakistan is cancer. Breast cancer and lung cancer are the deadliest and most common kinds of cancer In Pakistan. Breast cancer alone takes the lives of almost 40,000 women in Pakistan each year. It is increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan due to insufficient healthcare facilities as well as lack of awareness. Pakistan being the top tobacco purchase country in South Asia, it is of no surprise that Lung cancer main cause is smoking.

Dengue:

Since 2010, thousands of people in Pakistan’s rural areas have died and infected with dengue fever. It is a viral infection spread by a particular species of mosquito and is still a problem in many parts of the country after so many years.

Ischemic Heart disease:

Ischemic heart Disease is also one of the leading cause of death in Pakistan. It is caused by pollution, contaminated water, poor diet and smoking.

Diabetes:

Another ailment is diabetes which affects more than 7 million people in Pakistan. The number of diabetic patients is rising due to lack of nutritional diet. It is an analysis that Pakistan would be among top five countries globally to have diabetic patients by 2030.

Stroke:

Another of the top causes of death in Pakistan is stroke which has 350,000 incidents per year due to depressive symptoms and chronic stress.  A greater understanding of crucial stroke risk factors, such as stress and negative emotions among patients, is required to avoid strokes.

Hepatitis:

In addition, hepatitis is on rise in Pakistan in rural and slum areas due to poor cleanliness standards. Pakistan has over 100,000 positive HIV cases and its main cause is usage of contaminated syringes by drug addicts. The government must take steps as this disease is increasing at alarming rate.

Malnutrition:

Women in rural areas mostly suffer throughout pregnancy sue to insufficient nourishment, awareness and treatment resulting in poor baby health.

Acute Respiratory Infection:

Another leading disease in children in Pakistan is acute respiratory infection due to malnutrition, lack of knowledge and lack of vaccination. More than 300,000 children in Pakistan are also dying from diarrhea each year because of unsanitary conditions.

Hypertension:

Hypertension also affects over 20% of population of Pakistan and people do not seek medical care due to lack of funds.

Asthma:

Asthma affects approximately 7% of population of Pakistan and primarily caused by smoking, dust and pollution.

Mental Health Issues:

Over 60 million people in Pakistan have mental health issues and are not appropriately treated due to lack of medical facilities.

 Steps and Measures:

We can take few measures to control health issues like increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol, government must ensure that hospitals have enough financial resources and facilities to treat patients. We must increase our research to search for cure of incurable diseases. The production and disposal of goods lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. And global warming is a significant contributor to public health issues. Therefore, we must reduce our consumption to reduce the adverse impacts of global warming. We must educate more about vaccinations