by In the newly unveiled federal budget for 2025–26, Pakistan’s civil society organizations (CSOs) have sounded the alarm over what they describe as an “anti‑public health” budget. Advocates warn that, despite rhetoric around social reform and development, allocations for healthcare remain stubbornly low—leaving millions without access to essential services. Here’s an in‑depth look at the issue:
📊 1. Engineering an Underfunded Healthcare System
Civil society groups are pointing to the underwhelming federal health allocation: just Rs 27 billion under PSDP for both ongoing and new health schemes in FY 2024–25. Meanwhile, federal and provincial combined spending barely reaches 1–1.5% of GDP—far below the internationally recommended 5% mark .
These figures come at a time of staggering needs: Pakistan faces a shortfall of 589,122 hospital beds, and rural areas continue to suffer from acute infrastructure gaps.
🗣️ 2. Civil Society Verdict: Insufficient & Inequitable
In forums such as the NDF–Pakistan dialogue, speakers from various civil society streams—including development experts, health professionals, and social workers—have called the budget a stark miss. They note:
- Federal health spending has nominally increased to Rs 56 billion in 2024–25, but it still accounts for only a sliver of total spending.
- Provinces show stark disparity: Sindh and KP boosted their healthcare budgets, yet Balochistan lags far behind.
- Preventive and primary health are being sidelined as the budget disproportionately favors tertiary hospital investment .
📉 3. Real‑World Consequences
With such modest allocations, CSOs warn of cascading consequences:
- Infrastructure neglect – Chronic shortages in beds, equipment, and trained staff will persist.
- Out‑of‑pocket burden – With government spending low, families absorb more than 54% of healthcare costs.
- Geographic inequity – Rural districts and under‑served provinces will continue to suffer poorer access to care.
- Preventive care Crunched – Lack of funding for vaccination and early intervention programs could raise future disease burdens.
🔍 4. What CSOs Are Urging
Civil society activists are urging several policy corrections:
- Boost health spending to 5% of GDP, to align with WHO guidelines and global best practices.
- Rebalance budget in favour of preventive, primary, and community health systems over tertiary hospital-centric models.
- Promote equity across provinces by closing the huge spending gap between affluent and poorer regions.
- Engage community voices in the budgeting process—particularly from women, rural residents, and marginalized groups.
🌐 5. A Broader Social Agenda?
This linked shortfall in health spending also dovetails with concerns about educational underinvestment and gender‑responsive budgeting. A recent parliamentary session emphasized that poor health and education allocations must be corrected together to meet SDG goals and foster long‑term development.
✅ 6. The Way Forward
To avert public health decline, the government must:
- Increase federal and provincial health budgets, tying them to clear targets for service delivery.
- Ensure accountability, with transparent reporting on utilization and outcomes.
- Launch public consultations, especially with affected communities, during budget preparation.
- Monitor critical indicators—like bed availability, vaccination rates, and out‑of‑pocket spending.
🧭 Final Take
This year’s budget reflects a dangerous complacency toward public welfare. Civil society organizations are issuing a clear message: without significantly increased funding and structural reform, Pakistan risks jeopardizing public health gains and amplifying social inequality. The call is urgent—and the time to act is now.
