The Ministry of National Health Services announced updated UHC Service Coverage Index figures on UHC Day in Islamabad, showing the national UHC Index rising to 54.7 for 2024 from a baseline of 40 in 2015. Technical support for the estimation came from the UK Evidence for Health programme and the World Health Organization, and the results point to a 37.8% improvement since 2015 while an annual rise of just 1.5% since 2023 underlines the need for accelerated action.
Federal Minister of Health Syed Mustafa Kamal reiterated the government commitment to expand accessible, equitable and quality care, emphasising efforts to bring essential services closer to communities, improve care quality, and reduce out-of-pocket spending for underserved and marginalised groups. The Ministry is advancing a new National Health and Population Policy for 2026–2035 that aims to encourage partnerships, technology adoption and investment to strengthen primary healthcare delivery as Pakistan seeks faster gains in the UHC Index.
The updated results show varied performance across provinces and territories, with Islamabad Capital Territory leading at 62, Punjab at 55.2, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 53.5, Sindh at 51.4, Gilgit Baltistan at 49.7, Azad Jammu and Kashmir at 49.5, and Balochistan at 38.8. At district level, 45 districts score below 40 on the UHC Index, 39 districts fall in the 40–49 range, 65 districts score between 50 and 59, and only 9 districts have reached 60 or above, highlighting the distance to the Sustainable Development Goal target of a UHC Index of 80 or more by 2030.
The findings also expose category-level gaps. Jhelum district leads in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health with an aggregate score of 78.4, followed by Hunza and Lahore. In infectious diseases, Diamer tops the list at 70.1, with Peshawar and Hyderabad following. Non-communicable diseases data remain incomplete at the district level, signalling an urgent need for disaggregated data to guide future action. Service capacity and access scores are highest in Karachi South, then Islamabad and Abbottabad.
Minister of State Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed underscored the government’s intention to strengthen health systems and increase public health investment so no family is pushed into poverty by healthcare costs. Federal Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh called for stronger coordination between federal and provincial authorities, health institutions and communities to ensure reliable and affordable services. The British High Commission reaffirmed continued support for governance and innovation in health, and the WHO Representative Dr Luo Dapeng praised collective efforts while urging alignment of national priorities, evidence and partner support to accelerate UHC progress.
With the UHC Index now established as a central metric of progress, policymakers say targeted investment, improved data systems and stronger collaboration will be prioritised to lift low-performing districts and accelerate Pakistan toward its UHC and SDG commitments.
