Federal Minister of Health Mustafa Kamal has warned that Pakistan’s health system cannot maintain the growing disease burden unless the focus changes from treatment to prevention.
He spoke at a pilot project ceremony about nutrition and mothers’ health emphasized the urgent need for clean water, effective wastewater treatment and population control to reduce the pressure on the health sector.
“Our current system is waiting for patients to become ill before responding. It is essentially a nursing system, while a healthy system’s real function must be prevention before illness,” Kamal said. “Prevention is better than cure, we need to protect people from getting sick in the first place.”
He quoted expert estimates that 68 percent of the diseases in Pakistan come from contaminated water. “If clean water is secured, 68% of the diseases can be removed,” he noted. “There is no effective wastewater treatment system in the country. We need to make wastewater treatment part of our policies.”
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The minister pointed to Pakistan’s population growth of 3.6 percent among the highest in the region and said it has put enormous pressure on resources and healthcare. “Thirty-three percent of children suffer from stunting, Pakistan first ranks in the region of hepatitis C patients, and polio still exists in the country,” he said.
Kamal highlighted increasing patient loads in hospitals and said, “Under the existing system, the day will never come where the state can treat all patients.” He urged all health -related authorities to re -examine their policy and re -introduce measures to create a healthier environment.
“The Ministry of Health is particularly aware of preventing people from getting sick and striving to transform the nursing system into a true health system,” he added. “For a healthy Pakistan, sustainable measures are indispensable. Policies must be developed that promote a healthy environment and enable protection before diseases occur.”
Widespread monsoon rain and flooding over Punjab this year has triggered an increase in water and vector-borne diseases, with health authorities warning of an escalating crisis.
The authorities have encouraged citizens to drain stagnant water, store drinking water securely and seek medical help immediately in the event of a fever, vomiting or unusual symptoms.
