Govt Committed to Strengthen Primary Healthcare: Health MinisterHPD Organises Joint Session on Universal Health Coverage

By Dr Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: The Health & Population Department Punjab organised a joint session of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Coordination Platform and the Punjab Family Planning Partners Coordination Forum at a local hotel on Wednesday to discuss the integration of family planning within primary healthcare services.
The session, held under the theme “Advancing UHC: Tackling the Population Agenda through PHC Integration,” brought together government officials, development partners and stakeholders to review progress and strengthen coordination for achieving Universal Health Coverage in the province.
Provincial Minister for Health and Population Khawaja Imran Nazir attended the event as the chief guest. Nadia Saqib, Secretary Health and Population Department; Additional Secretary (Administration) Muhammad Ashraf; Program Director Punjab Family Planning Program Dr Usman Ali Khan; Project Director Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics Dr Pervaiz Iqbal; and Director Expanded Programme on Immunization Dr Naveed Iqbal were also present.
Representatives from international organisations including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, United Nations Population Fund, World Bank, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination also participated in the session.
A delegation from the World Bank attending the event included Jahanzaib Sohail, Task Team Lead for the Punjab Family Planning Program, along with other members of the mission team.
Addressing the participants, Khawaja Imran Nazir said the provincial government was committed to strengthening primary healthcare and integrating population services to improve health outcomes. He highlighted several initiatives launched under Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, including Community Health Inspectors, Clinics on Wheels, field hospitals and the expansion of cath lab facilities aimed at improving access to quality healthcare services across the province, particularly in underserved areas.
Secretary Health and Population Nadia Saqib briefed participants on ongoing reforms in the health and population sectors. She highlighted initiatives focused on strengthening primary healthcare, including digitisation of health facilities, improved monitoring systems, stronger quality assurance frameworks and the outsourcing of Basic Health Units and Rural Health Centres to enhance service delivery and accountability.
Program Director Punjab Family Planning Program Dr Usman Ali Khan said integrating family planning services within primary healthcare was critical for improving maternal and child health outcomes and achieving Universal Health Coverage. He added that the program was working with development partners to expand access to family planning services, strengthen service delivery systems and enhance coordination among stakeholders.
Supriya Madhavan, Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank and the Global Financing Facility, joined the session online and presented the mid-term review findings of the Punjab Family Planning Program. She appreciated the ongoing reforms in Punjab’s health sector and emphasised the importance of sustained efforts to strengthen family planning services as part of the broader UHC agenda.