Working in Partnership for Social Health Protection in Pakistan

A closer look at German-supported capacity development measures

This 14-page report presents insights into German-supported capacity development measures aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s social health protection system.

Writer:
Karen Birdsall

Health-related expenditures are a major cause of economic shock for poor families in Pakistan. Since 2015, the Sehat Sahulat Program (SSP) – a non-contributory health insurance scheme fully funded by the Government of Pakistan – has been enabling beneficiaries to access in-patient healthcare services, free of cost, in empaneled public and private hospitals. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and the Federal territory, the program has begun its move towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with the aim to cover every family. 

Advisors with the GIZ-implemented Support to Social Protection – Social Health Protection (SP-SHP) project have been working with partner institutions in Pakistan to strengthen this common vision and to develop the capacities which are essential for realising it. 

The publication describes different capacity development measures supported by the SP-SHP project, giving voice to Pakistani policymakers and practitioners who took part in them and share how these measures shaped their understanding of social health protection and the way they approach their work in this field.