What are the Five Major Threats to Health in Pakistan

Pakistan is also culturally very diverse with great cultural values. There are various health risks, and it is upon policy makers, health professionals, and the public to identify these health risks to enhance health facilitation. This paper, therefore identifies five major health risks in Pakistan, including their causes, implications, and possible solutions.

 

1. Communicable Diseases

 

Introduction

Infectious diseases are still the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Pakistan. Although the science of medicine has changed, TB, malaria, hepatitis, and now dengue fever remain the greatest health risk factors.

 

Major Infectious Diseases

Tuberculosis: With an estimated 563 cases per 100,000 people, among the top ranking countries in the world, such basic health services are not readily accessible and poverty and malnutrition add fuel to the fire and propel the disease forward.

• Hepatitis: Hepatitis B and C carry a prevalence rate of around 5% to 10% of the population in Pakistan. There is unsafe medical practice, unawareness, and unemptied screening that is being spread by these diseases.
• Malaria: It has been prevalent in certain areas of the country-the southern regions. The conditions of the climate and ineffective vector control measures have contributed to the continuity of this disease.

Dengue Fever

The dengue fever outbreaks have increased over time and are slowly becoming urbanized. This growth in disease outbreaks has been associated with rapid urbanization and poor waste management combined with underdeveloped public health infrastructure.

 

Effects

Infectious diseases place a great burden on the healthcare system through increased health expenditure and loss of productivity. Infectious diseases sustain health inequities because such diseases concentrate disproportionately on vulnerable groups.

 

Remedies

Building Health Infrastructure: Building of health facilities and greater access in rural areas will help in efficient control of diseases.

• Public Awareness Programmed: Public education on preventive practices, a reminder of the importance of immunizations and screenings can reduce the incidence of infectious diseases.
• Improved Surveillance and Response: The availability of disease surveillance can allow the earlier detection of outbreaks in time and interventions before major impacts may materialize.

2. Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

 

Overview

Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers are included in this list, which continue to grow. WHO estimates that NCDs contribute to 60% of deaths in Pakistan.

 

Major Risk Factors

• An unhealthy lifestyle: Sedentary behaviour, poor dietary choices, and smoking have become important risk factors that exacerbate an increase in NCDs. The growing rate of urbanization also contributes to the huge consumption of fast foods and stays away from physical activities.
• Environmental Factors: This has increased air pollution, which is higher in the urban areas like Lahore and Karachi, thus increasing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Industrialization has escalated without proper regulations to adjust with the environment.
• Least Awareness: Risk factors of NCDs are least known by people, and that is why diagnosis happens late, and their health care is low.

Implication

NCDs impose a great economic burden on the healthcare system, as chronic conditions are sustainable. NCDs also result in poor quality of life besides arising healthcare inequities.

 

Solutions

Promotion of Health Programs Implementation of grass-root-based interventions involving promotion of lifestyles, exercise, healthy diet, tobacco smoking quitting among others.

• Policy Interventions: Preventive control with regard to strict advertisement of tobacco products and promotion of healthy food intake may be a potential factor reducing the risk factors of NCDs.
• Strengthening the Primary Healthcare: Providing primary health care effectively for early detection and effective management of NCDs would lead to better health status.

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3. Maternal and Child Health

 

Overview

Pakistan remains focused on maternal and child health to date, just as it did at all times. Hosting one of the world's most enormous maternal and child mortality rates, Pakistan has no exclusions with stark inequalities within it concerning socio-economic status and geographical locations.

 

Major Issues

Health Access: Hundreds of thousands of women and children are denied access to these critical health benefits just because of their services, prenatal and postnatal care. Among the rural areas, some problems were noted in which health facilities were found to be far from each center and no transport existed.

• Poor health results: Malnutrition in women and children has been linked to poor health results. In cases of stunting and wasting, it hinders growth and development in children.
• Cultural Belief and Practices: This is the main reason for low utilization, as there are deficiency levels in modern knowledge and practices among the people. In most places, because of cultural belief, the woman may fear going to the hospitals for proper treatment and care during pregnancy and delivery.
• Poor maternal and child health has long-term impacts on family and community. High mortality rates feed into cycles of poor having fewer opportunities for the future.

Solutions

Availability of Services: Expansion and access to maternal and child health services, in itself is one of the simplest but effective ways of change toward better health.

• Community Mobilization: Public education on maternal and child health importance coupled with local leadership involvement changes the perception and results in higher service utilization.
• Nutrition Interventions Targeted nutrition interventions for pregnant women and children can be prevented from malnutrition, leading to overall better health outcomes.

4. Mental Health Problems Overview

Much of this importance is nullified in Pakistan; this country does not provide the importance it must to mental health about the overall health and wellness. This is primarily because most of these people attribute some kind of stigma, a lack of awareness, and some sort of scarcity in resources to the problem.

 

Important Challenges

• Stigma and Discrimination: There is much stigma in regard to mental illness, which creates a fear thought in most people. For this reason, they keep avoiding treatment. The stigma is normally fuelled by the believing that the society has on mental health cases, believing them to be symptoms of weakness.
• Limited Service Provision: There are only a few mental health services within the rural areas and cannot therefore reach most people who reside in the countryside. Most health care providers also do not receive mental health education; hence, most patients may not get proper treatment.
• Economic Factors: Economic instability and violence in the country as well as natural disasters lead to increased incidences of mental illness including depression and anxiety.

Implications

A poor state of mental health portends a decline in health, low productivity, and if untreated, more morbidity. It also puts much pressure on health care systems since the patients receive treatment for physical health because of symptoms that result from untreated mental illnesses.

Solutions

• Raise Awareness: Public awareness programs reduce the stigma associated with the conditions and provide people with an incentive to obtain help in overcoming such.
• Training Health Professionals: The inclusion of mental health education into medical school can expand the range by which health professionals may respond to mental health problems.
• Community-Based Programs: Community-based mental health programs can offer service and resources to those who need it most, particularly in disadvantaged regions.

5. Environmental Health Threats

 

Introduction

Environmental health hazards tend to prevail as one of the more extreme dangers to public health in Pakistan. The main problems of air pollution, contaminated water, and poor sanitation pose extreme consequences in human life.

 

Major Environmental Problems

• Air Pollution: All major cities of Pakistan are adversely affected by highly dangerous levels of air pollution due to smoke emissions by vehicles, industrial discharges, and burning of solid wastes. It causes respiratory and cardio diseases and dies before its time.
• Water Quality: unsafe, unclean drinking water. In most areas, contaminated sources are used. Water-borne diseases, such as cholera and dysentery, are always present in the communities.
• Sanitation: one of the causes of break out diseases is perceived to be a poor sanitation. Whether or not clean sanitation is accessed at the time of menstruation or at the time of childbirth determines the health and well-being of a woman.

Implication

Environmental health risk increases healthcare costs and lower quality life. The effects will be worse in vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly

Solutions

• Policy and Regulation: Environmental regulations would be formulated and implemented, thus curbing environmental pollution and offering protection to the public health as well
• Investment in Infrastructure: Upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure is what would guarantee access to clean water as well as sanitation, therefore.
• Community education would increase public consciousness concerning issues of environmental health as well as encourage activities like waste segregation toward healthier communities.

Conclusion

The health landscape in Pakistan is sharply diversified, primarily by infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health issues, mental health challenges, and environmental health hazards, all emerging as the five major threats to its health. All these shall be controlled through multi-dimensional efforts from the government along with engaging communities and improving healthcare systems.

Initiatives for prevention, education, and care access can also move Pakistan closer to healthful, healthy outcomes for its people. Success will require collaboration among key stakeholders: the government, nongovernment organizations, and private sector enterprises.

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