Social Health Protection in Pakistan (Sehat Sahulat Program) | Symposium B1
Saturday, Jan 18, 2020
8:30am – 11:00am

Event Coordinator
faisalrifaq@gmail.com

Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) – Pakistan’s largest social health protection programme – an effort towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

Universal health coverage in today’s world has become an essential target to be achieved. However, a challenge that confronts many low- and middle-income countries is ensuring access to basic health services for an entire population without any financial hardship or barriers. To achieve and sustain universal health coverage, governments should generate enough resources to provide safety nets to the masses. Social health protection (SHP) is an important tool that helps in reducing poverty and inequality. The key objective lying behind the SHP concept is to achieve universal health coverage that leads to effective access to essential health care for all in need. The effective access to the health benefits is only possible when certain conditions are met including, i) a rights-based approach ii) affordability of necessary health care (without financial hardship or increased risk of poverty) iii) availability of necessary health services of adequate quality iv) and last but not least financial protection. Pakistan in a very short period has successfully launched and is running country’s largest social health protection programme (Sehat Sahulat Program – SSP) covering over 8.0 million poor families to date. The programme is being implemented nationwide in a phased-wise manner and there is a serious effort of the government to achieve UHC in Pakistan.

Title of talk Speaker Name
Social Health Protection Initiatives in Pakistan and highlights of independent actuarial analysis of Sehat Sahulat Program conducted by German Government (GIZ) and International Labour Organization (ILO) Dr. Faisal Rifaq
Role, Challenges and Opportunities for Public and Private Healthcare Providers in Effective implementation of Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) by quality service delivery and cost optimization Mr. Muhammad Arshad
Effective implementation of Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) through research and evidence-based decisions Mr. Muhammad Ashar

Challenges and Opportunities in Achieving Tobacco Control in Pakistan

Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) – Pakistan’s largest social health protection programme – an effort towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

Universal health coverage in today’s world has become an essential target to be achieved. However, a challenge that confronts many low- and middle-income countries is ensuring access to basic health services for an entire population without any financial hardship or barriers. To achieve and sustain universal health coverage, governments should generate enough resources to provide safety nets to the masses. Social health protection (SHP) is an important tool that helps in reducing poverty and inequality. The key objective lying behind the SHP concept is to achieve universal health coverage that leads to effective access to essential health care for all in need. The effective access to the health benefits is only possible when certain conditions are met including, i) a rights-based approach ii) affordability of necessary health care (without financial hardship or increased risk of poverty) iii) availability of necessary health services of adequate quality iv) and last but not least financial protection. Pakistan in a very short period has successfully launched and is running country’s largest social health protection programme (Sehat Sahulat Program – SSP) covering over 8.0 million poor families to date. The programme is being implemented nationwide in a phased-wise manner and there is a serious effort of the government to achieve UHC in Pakistan.
Title of talk Speaker Name Timings
The Changing Tobacco Control Landscape in Pakistan (TBC) Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan 2:15 – 2:35 pm
Addressing Smokeless Tobacco: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift? Dr. Kamran Siddiqui 2:35 – 2:55 pm
A Moot for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy Dr. Malik Imran Ahmed 2:55 – 3:15 pm
Using  Social Media campaigns to Address Policymakers and Legislators for Tobacco Taxation Reforms in Pakistan Dr. Shariq Khan 3:15 – 3:35 pm
Economic Implications of Cigarette Taxation in Pakistan Dr. Muhammad Sabir 3:35 – 3:55 pm