June 12, 2024 (MLN): The Pakistan Economic Report FY24, published yesterday, highlighted that life expectancy at birth in the country has increased to 67.3 years in 2022 from 65.7 years in 2015.
Moreover, the prevalence of child stunting has decreased from 41.4 in 2015 to 34 in 2022, alongside an expansion of immunization programs nationwide.
This is due to a wide range of government initiatives, such as the program for the elimination of Hepatitis, the control of diabetes, and the expanded program on immunization, all of which have proved to be significant contributors to the increase in life expectancy.
This is evident from the rise in Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus (DPT) immunization from 72% of children in 2015 to 85% of children aged 12-23 months in 2022.
In contrast, the average life expectancy of South Asian countries stood at 71.6 years as of 2021.
The healthcare performance of Pakistan is detailed by comparing key indicators from 2021 and 2022 to those of 2015.
There has been a significant improvement in all indicators, indicating a better overall profile of Pakistan's health sector.
The following table will offer a comprehensive overview of various metrics:
Health Indicators of Pakistan
2015
2021
2022
Incidence of Tuberculosis (per 100,000 people)
270
266
258
Life expectancy at birth (years)
65.7
66.1
67.3
Immunization, Measles (% of children ages (12-23) months
75
81
82
Prevalence of HIV, Total (% of population ages 15-49)
0.1
0.2
0.2
Immunization DPT (%age of children under 12-23 months)
72
83
85
Tuberculosis treatment success rate (new cases)
93
94
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Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 births) as per PDSH 2019
