Health experts highlight need of prioritizing health and nutrition in the country.

ISLAMABAD -- To face the emerging health and nutrition challenges amid Covid-19, behavioral change in society has a key role to play in addition to policy level response by the governments. Besides, universal health coverage has become need of hour to respond to needs of the citizens. The noted physicians and experts from the health sector said this while sharing their views with the participants of 'Universal Health Coverage and Nutrition Integration - Challenges to Health Systems in Pakistan During COVID-19', organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Thursday.

Professor Dr. Shehzad A Khan, from Health Services Academy (HAS), by covering various aspects of healthcare infrastructure in Pakistan, said that all the indicators in health and nutrition are very poor. Therefore, we need to prioritize healthcare sector to bring a real change in this scenario. He said that we also need to combined health and nutrition and government's spending in the sector must be enhanced.

Dr. Farkhanda Ather, from Mercy Crops, while highlighting the plight of mothers and children, the problems in healthcare sector have been intensified further. She said that the phenomenon has resulted as even lesser access to healthcare facilities for expecting women. Therefore, this issue needs immediate attention and regularizing private sector would also help in this regard.

Senior Research Fellow SDPI, Dr. Shafqat Munir was if view that health financing has become an urgent need in after Covid-19 era and thus, policy measures...