Skip to main content
Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Universal Health Coverage in Pakistan: Challenges, Reforms, and the Road to 2030 Cover

Universal Health Coverage in Pakistan: Challenges, Reforms, and the Road to 2030

Open Access
|Aug 2026

References

  1. Khan SJ, Asif M, Aslam S, Khan WJ, Hamza SA. Pakistan’s healthcare system: A review of major challenges and the first comprehensive universal health coverage initiative. Cureus. 2023;15(9):e44641. doi:10.7759/cureus.44641.
  2. Hasan SS, Mustafa ZU, Kow CS, Merchant HA. “Sehat Sahulat Program”: A leap into the universal health coverage in Pakistan. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(12):6998. doi:10.3390/ijerph19126998.
  3. Bashir S, Kishwar S, Nasir M, Ali S. Socioeconomic inequalities in out‑of‑pocket and catastrophic health expenditures in Pakistan. Int J Public Health. 2024;69:1607313. doi:10.3389/ijph.2024.1607313.
  4. Shaikh BT, Ali N. Universal health coverage in Pakistan: Is the health system geared up to take on the challenge? Glob Health. 2023;19(1):4. doi:10.1186/s12992-023-00904-1.
  5. Yang D, Nikoloski Z, Khalid G, Mossialos E. Pakistan’s path to universal health coverage: National and regional insights. Int J Equity Health. 2024;23(1):162. doi:10.1186/s12939-024-02232-1.
  6. Shaikh BT. Universal health coverage in Pakistan: Exploring the landscape of the health system, health seeking behaviours, and utilization of health services. Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia. 2024;27:100440. doi:10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100440.
  7. Ahmed U, Abbas HSM. Institutional corruption in the health sector and role of administration: A case study of Pakistan. Ann Soc Sci Perspect. 2022;3(1):219–234. doi:10.52700/assap.v3i1.133.
  8. McCabe Center for Law & Cancer. Leaving No One Behind: The Role of Law in Advancing Universal Health Coverage. Victoria; 2020. https://www.mccabecentre.org/focus-areas/universal-health-coverage.
  9. Ministry of Finance. Health & nutrition. In: Economic Survey of Pakistan 2025–2026. Government of Pakistan; 2026. https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_2026.html.
  10. Muhammad Q, Eiman H, Fazal F, Ibrahim M, Gondal MF. Healthcare in Pakistan: Navigating challenges and building a brighter future. Cureus. 2023;15(6):e40218. doi:10.7759/cureus.40218.
  11. World Bank. Current health expenditure (% of GDP) – Pakistan. World Development Indicators. Published 2021. Accessed March 30, 2025. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.OOPC.CH.ZS?locations=PK.
  12. Farhat M. Exploring health‑seeking behaviors and coping strategies: A qualitative study of women in urban slum areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Sociol Res Innov. 2024;2(1):1–21. doi:10.32350/sri.21.01.
  13. Forman R, Ambreen F, Shah SSA, Mossialos E, Nasir K. Sehat Sahulat: A social health justice policy leaving no one behind. Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia. 2022;7:100079. doi:10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100079.
  14. Koohpayehzadeh J, Azami‑Aghdash S, Derakhshani N, et al. Best practices in achieving Universal Health Coverage: A scoping review. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2021;35:191. doi:10.47176/mjiri.35.191.
  15. Kumar MB, Taegtmeyer M, Madan J, et al. How do decision‑makers use evidence in community health policy and financing decisions? A qualitative study and conceptual framework in four African countries. Health Policy Plan. 2020;35(7):799–809. doi:10.1093/heapol/czaa027.
  16. Khatri RB, Endalamaw A, Erku D, et al. Contribution of health system governance in delivering primary health care services for universal health coverage: A scoping review. PLoS One. 2025;20(2):e0318244. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0318244.
  17. Alwan A, Siddiqi S, Safi M, et al. Addressing the UHC challenge using the Disease Control Priorities 3 approach: Lessons learned and an overview of the Pakistan experience. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8003. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2023.8003.
  18. Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination. Universal Health Coverage Benefit Package of Pakistan: Essential Package of Health Services with Localized Evidence. Government of Pakistan; 2020. https://www.dcp-3.org/resources/universal-health-coverage-benefit-package-pakistan-essential-package-health-services.
  19. Hogan DR, Stevens GA, Hosseinpoor AR, Boerma T. Monitoring universal health coverage within the sustainable development goals: Development and baseline data for an index of essential health services. Lancet Glob Health. 2018;6(2):e152–e168. doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(17)30472-2.
  20. Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. PAKISTAN: Universal Health Coverage Monitoring Report‑2024. Health Planning, System Strengthening and Information Analysis Unit/Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme; 2024.
  21. Nishtar S, Boerma T, Amjad S, et al. Pakistan’s health system: Performance and prospects after the 18th constitutional amendment. Lancet. 2013;381(9884):2193–2206. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60019-7.
  22. Shaikh BT. Private sector in health care delivery: A reality and a challenge in Pakistan. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2015;27(2):496–498. https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/56.
  23. Government of Pakistan. Health & nutrition. In: Economic Survey of Pakistan 2024–2025. Bureau of Statistics. 2025:196. https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_25/11_Health_and_Nutrition.pdf.
  24. Meo SA, Sultan T. Brain drain of healthcare professionals from Pakistan from 1971 to 2022: Evidence‑based analysis. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(4):921. doi:10.12669/pjms.39.4.7853.
  25. Ahmed SH, Zahid M, Waseem S, et al. The current state of primary healthcare in Pakistan: A way forward for low‑to‑middle income countries. Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2024;25:e59. doi:10.1017/s1463423624000549.
  26. Rana SA, Sarfraz M, Kamran I, Jadoon H. Preferences of doctors for working in rural Islamabad capital territory, Pakistan: A qualitative study. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2016;28(3):591–596. https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/670/423.
  27. Baltussen R, Jansen M, Bijlmakers L. Stakeholder participation on the path to universal health coverage: The use of evidence‑informed deliberative processes. Trop Med Int Health. 2018;23(10):1071–1074. doi:10.1111/tmi.13138.
  28. World Health Organization. Stronger Collaboration for an Equitable and Resilient Recovery Towards the Health‑Related Sustainable Development Goals: 2021 Progress Report on the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well‑Being for All. World Health Organization; 2021.
  29. Alwan A, Jamison DT, Siddiqi S, Vassall A. Pakistan’s progress on universal health coverage: Lessons learned in priority setting and challenges ahead in reinforcing primary healthcare. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2024;13:8450. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2024.8450.
  30. Abdullah MA, Shaikh BT, Sattar NY, Gillani SM, Ahmed AS, Shaikh WQ. Beyond illness: Understanding social determinants in the life of a middle‑aged woman in Pakistan. East Mediterr Health J. 2024;30(11):847–850. doi:10.26719/2024.30.12.847.
  31. Fisher M, Freeman T, Mackean T, Friel S, Baum F. Universal health coverage for health equity: From principle to practice; a response to the recent commentaries. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(8):1601–1603. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2022.7218.
  32. Shah N, Zaheer S, Iram U. Health insurance, social safety net and maternal health service utilization in Pakistan: A population based cross‑sectional study. BMJ Open. 2024;14(8):e079646. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079646.
  33. Farooqui MA, Nabeel Ali K, Riaz S. Utilization and barriers of social health protection program among its enrolled population of federally administrative areas, Pakistan. BMJ Open Qual. 2024;13(Suppl 2):e002375. doi:10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002375.
  34. Yanful B, Kirubarajan A, Bhatia D, et al. Quality of care in the context of universal health coverage: A scoping review. Health Res Policy Syst. 2023;21(1):21. doi:10.1186/s12961-022-00957-5.
  35. Yasmin S. Exploring Public and Private Providers Experience With Sehat Sahulat Program in Pakistan MPhil thesis. School of Social Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics; 2022.
  36. Pakistan Medical & Dental Council. Standards for Teaching Hospitals. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://pmdc.pk/Publication/Standards.
  37. Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority. IHRA Standards for Hospitals. Published 2021. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://ihra.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IHRA-Standards-for-Hospitals.pdf.
  38. Khan SU, Hussain I. Inequalities in health and health‑related indicators: A spatial geographic analysis of Pakistan. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1800. doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09870-4.
  39. Watkins DA, Jamison DT, Mills A, et al. Universal health coverage and essential packages of care. In: Jamison DT, Gelband H, Horton S, et al, eds. Disease Control Priorities: Improving Health and Reducing Poverty. 3rd ed. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank; 2017:43–65. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-0527-1_ch3.
  40. Akashi H, Osanai Y, Akashi R. Human resources for health development: Toward realizing Universal Health Coverage in Japan. Biosci Trends. 2015;9(5):275–279. doi:10.5582/bst.2015.01125.
  41. Afzal S, Junaid K. Primary healthcare system reforms in Pakistan to achieve universal health coverage. Ann King Edw Med Univ. 2023;29(4):302–303. doi:10.21649/akemu.v23i4.5602.
  42. Luo J, Ahmad SF, Alyaemeni A, et al. Role of perceived ease of use, usefulness, and financial strength on the adoption of health information systems: The moderating role of hospital size. Humanit Soc Sci Commun. 2024;11(1):1–12. doi:10.1057/s41599-024-02976-9.
  43. Morgan R, Ensor T, Waters H. Performance of private sector health care: Implications for universal health coverage. Lancet. 2016;388(10044):606–612. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)00343-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.5238 | Journal eISSN: 2214-9996
Language: English
Page range: 87 - 87
Submitted on: Mar 4, 2026
Accepted on: Aug 10, 2026
Published on: Aug 31, 2026
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2026 Babar Tasneem Shaikh, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.