Setting health care priorities in Pakistan

To describe a health priority setting exercise in Pakistan and its relevance to traditional medical care and care providers.

Literature search of local and regional data was performed to identify priority health problems, those with high disease burden and with cost-effective interventions.

Major causes of ill-health were communicable (diarrhoea, respiratory infections, childhood immunizable diseases, malaria, tuberculosis) and pregnancy related diseases. Factors that contributed to these disorders included malnutrition, anemia, poor sanitation and water supply, low level of education, high fertility rates and poverty. For these conditions, cost-effective interventions for prevention included environmental control (provision of clean water and sanitation), education programmes, expanded programme of immunization and family planning and those for treatment included case management of diarrhoea, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

Priority health problems include factors outside the domain of traditional medical care. Their definition is important for directing policy reform, medical curricula and health research.