The World Health Organization was founded on April 7, 1948, in Geneva, Switzerland. And then in 1950, for the first time, the organization announced to celebrate “World Health Day” on this day every year around the world, to educate the public about various disorders, including the improvement of general health, especially high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, heart disorders, and obesity, etc. At present,100 million people around the world are living below the poverty line. Such people are forced to survive on less than $1.9 a day, so how can they pay attention to their health?
More than 80 million people spend 10 per cent of their household budget if they or their families fall ill. In that sense, it has become a global problem. In the developed countries of the world, not only modern medical facilities are available, but people’s access to them is also easy. On the contrary, people in developing countries are still yearning for basic medical facilities.
Poverty is nine percent in urban areas of Pakistan and about 55 percent in rural areas. The public health situation in any country can improve only when the focus is on addressing other problems such as disease spread, poverty, hunger and poverty, unemployment, economic exploitation, and negative equality because these basic problems later lead to medical problems and complications. At present, more than 39 percent of the people in Pakistan suffer from poverty, while in FATA and Baluchistan, this rate is even higher. Poverty in urban areas is 9 per cent, and in rural areas, it is about 55 per cent. This is the reason why un member states are striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal set by 2030.
It is the responsibility of the state to provide affordable and quality medical facilities to the citizens.
General health is also directly related to cleanliness. Health experts around the world agree that the habit of mere sanitation can protect against many diseases, but unfortunately in the developing owner, there is a severe lack of cleanliness even in health providers, let alone at the individual level. This can be gauged from the fact that every year about 90,000 people fall prey to various infections from hospitals. Even in low-income countries, only one in four people have access to clean water and soap. Similarly, if effective vaccination is ensured at all levels, then the increasing rate of many infectious diseases can be controlled. 56 percent of children born in hospitals die of some infection due to a lack of basic medical facilities.
According to the definition of health globally, “Health does not simply mean the absence of disease, but the complete health of any person physically, mentally and socially.” And this definition can only be met if everyone has access to quality and affordable medical care without discrimination.
The right to health is an economic, social, and cultural right to the minimum standard of health that all individuals are entitled to. The concept of the right to health is set out in international treaties including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Health facilities are one of the basic human rights, it is the responsibility of the state to provide affordable and quality medical facilities to the citizens. According to the words of Article 38 of the Constitution of Pakistan, “It is the fundamental duty of the State to ensure to all its citizens without discrimination the basic needs of religion, gender, caste, creed and race of life, including health and medical facilities”.
In Pakistan, health is one of the sectors that are not happy. There are many aspects to it. The most important aspect of which has received very little attention is the awareness campaign for health. Which is desperately needed. For example, how to stay healthy. How is it possible to prevent diseases? There is a need for continuous awareness across the country.
On the one hand, health and education have never been given importance by the people. Patients do not have better health facilities in hospitals. 40 percent of the rural population is deprived of even basic health necessities of life. The most important reason for this is the air pollution found in Pakistan and poor food, this factor is as important as it is ignored. We are completely negligent about how harmful unhealthy water is like poisonous sprayed vegetables, broiler meat and bad water, poor diet.
On the other hand, Doctors in Government hospitals advise patients to test from private laboratories, despite taking huge salaries and incentives from government hospitals, a private clinic for every good doctor is also mandatory. Yet the government has never taken any notice of it. If these profiteers, moneylenders, and adulterants are punished, how can anyone play with the health of others?
Taking serious note of the difficulties in providing health and education facilities to the people and their failure to be resolved in time, if good faith attention is paid to improving the functioning of the concerned departments, then the morning that we have been dreaming of for years will rise.
The writer is working in SDPI in the advocacy unit.