Daily Times

Closely related to the country’s economy, the aggregate impact of the burden of disease is horrible.

According to US National Library of Medicine statistics for 2018, based on data from Agha Khan University Hospital, the annual economic burden of disease in Pakistan is more than Rs 250 billion, which is enormously higher than total health budget allocation of Rs 13.406 billion for the current fiscal year.

The probability of death between the years 30 and 60 is 21 per cent. It means one-fifth of the effective population of Pakistan risks their lives due to non-communicable diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory ailments, diabetes and mental illnesses. The high rate of plausible fatalities puts a direct burden on the economy in terms of loss of lives, entrepreneurship, experience and knowledge.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 43 per cent of the country’s workforce is engaged in agriculture, which accounts for 24 per cent of gross domestic product. But the economic burden of disease in the agriculture sector is less than that coming from industries and urbanized economic activity. The reason behind this phenomenon is the disparity in lifestyles of the rural and urban population. The farmers lead their lives in soil and rarely visit doctors during the year. Conversely, the people who do white-collar jobs and run industries consult their doctors at least thrice a year.

Nearly 50 per cent of Pakistan’s population is obese. Obesity causes severe health problems and, thus, negatively interferes with economic patterns. Obese people are mostly less prone to carry out economic activity. They are rarely fit to opt for rigorous professions. Thus, 19 per cent of the country’s total economic burden of disease comes from obesity alone.

The high rate of plausible fatalities puts a direct burden on the economy in terms of loss of lives, entrepreneurship, experience and knowledge

More than 12 per cent of Pakistan’s adults consume cigarettes and tobacco products of Rs 259 billion annually, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) unveiled in its Statistical Bulletin 2018. Smoking grounds lethal diseases and, thus, swallows up a considerable portion of the effective population; incurring huge unproductive costs and putting an unnecessary burden on the national exchequer. In January 2019, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination instructed all tobacco manufacturers to print new pictorial health warning on the packaging of cigarettes. Changing these alone has a very slim chance of changing the destiny of tobacco addicts.

An exceptional plan is required to curb the number of injuries in road accidents. Improving the current traffic control system, building new roads and training the road users could produce results. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics propagates that a total of 11,900 road accidents occurred in the country during the year 2018-19. These accidents caused 5,948 fatalities and left 14,489 persons injured. These statistics have severe implications on the economic health of the country.

Published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, on March 18, a research conducted by Harvard University revealed that people who consume carbonated drinks regularly have 31 per cent higher risk of death from poor heart health. There has been found a positive correlation between the intake of carbonated beverages and the risk of developing deadly heart diseases, colon cancer and breast cancer, which magnify the economic burden of disease to a great extent. Punjab government’s initiative to ban carbonated drinks in schools and colleges was commendable, which, if implemented transparently, could yield effective outcomes.

Controlling the population growth rate can play a pivotal role. More the population, more the economic burden of disease. Currently, Pakistan’s population is growing at an annual rate of 2.04 per cent, which will multiply the population to 245 million by 2030. Hence, the economic burden of the disease seems to surge under the same conditions.

Taking actions at micro and macro levels could appease Pakistan’s economic burden of disease. Firstly, going to bed earlier and taking a morning walk are extremely important values. These could be instrumental in curtailing the burden of disease on Pakistan’s economy. The economic burden of disease would tend to stagger downward as soon as the people quit smoking and revise their habits of eating and selection of food.

Secondly, the government of Pakistan could ensure true implementation of all the pertinent campaigns of the World Health Organization. Through the Pakistan Sports Board, sports could be promoted in the country by structuring new stadiums and organizing events. Sports are an essential constituent of a healthy lifestyle and could contribute to lessening country’s economic burden of disease. Increasing the number of Basic Health Units, currently 5527, and delivering general training to the public could considerably lessen the burden of disease on Pakistan’s economy.

Finally, changing the lifestyle seems to be the most vital strategy to control the economic burden of disease. Leisure is inevitable for keeping the mental health up by alleviating stress. People’s lifestyles are reflective of their professions. Instead, the professions must fit into people’s lifestyle. Eating-habits, provision of exercise and fitness consciousness are the building blocks of today’s standard lifestyle. Healthier the population, faster the steering-wheel of the economy!

The writer can be reached at waheedmba@yahoo.com