The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (; abbreviated as MoNHSRC) is a cabinet level ministry of the

government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

with responsibility for national

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

History

Healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

was transferred to the provincial health departments after

Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan (Urdu language, Urdu: آئین پاکستان میں اٹھارہویں ترمیم) was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on April 8, 2010, removing the power of the President of ...

in June 2011. In May 2013 however the federal ministry was reinstated by

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Mir Hazar Khan Khoso Mir Hazar Khan Khoso (; ) (30 September 1929 – 26 June 2021) was a Pakistani jurist who was the Prime Minister of Pakistan, caretaker prime minister of Pakistan from 25 March to 5 June 2013. Khoso was a judge who previously served as the Chief ...

, as the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination. The function of this new ministry was to provide provision of medical services, frame health policies and enforce the same at a national level. Literacy and Basic Education Department with focus on Skill Development Programmers and Vocational Education.

Provincial departments

* Department of Health, Azad Jammu & Kashmir * Department of Health, Balochistan * Department of Health & Population Welfare, Gilgit-Baltistan

Autonomous Bodies

Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan

Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is a self-governing entity under the Federal Government of Pakistan. It functions under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination. DRAP ...

was established under the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Act, 2012, is the main constitutional body to regulate therapeutic goods in the country. Therapeutic goods regulated by the DRAP include drugs, biological, medical devices, alternative medicines & health products. Previously, scope was limited to Drugs and Biologicals, however, it was extended to other categories after enactment of the Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Act, 2012. Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is mandated to provide for effective coordination and enforcement of The Drugs Act, 1976 (XXXI of 1976) and to bring harmony in inter-provincial trade and commerce of therapeutic goods. DRAP is responsible for ensuring that therapeutic goods approved and available in market meet prescribed standards of quality, safety and efficacy and are sold at reasonable prices. This includes registration and marketing authorization, vigilance, market surveillance and control, licensing establishments, regulatory inspection, laboratory testing, clinical trials oversight, pharmacovigilance and lot release of biologicals. The ''Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan'' was established in 2012 and is the largest department in the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, with its headquarters in

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

and regional offices in the provincial capitals of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

and

Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...

. DRAP has been established by the Federal Government, and its General direction, Administration and monitoring of the Authority vests with Policy Board of DRAP. The Authority comprises a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), appointed by the Federal Government and thirteen Directors, leading each Division of DRAP which perform various functions as mandated under the DRAP Act, 2012. These Divisions are majorly divided into two types, those performing regulatory activities as follows: * Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluations & Registration * Division of Drug Licensing * Division of Health and OTC Products (non-drugs) * Division of Medical Devices and Medicated Cosmetics * Division of Pharmacy Services * Division of Quality Assurance and Laboratory Testing * Division of Biological Evaluation and Research * Division of Controlled Drugs * Division of Costing and Pricing While supportive Divisions are; * Division of Management Information Services * Division of Budget and Accounts * Division of Legal Affairs * Division of Administration, HR and Logistics

Tobacco Control Cell

A separate cell was created in 2007. The rationale for the creation of the Cell stemmed from Pakistan’s international obligation. Pakistan is a signatory to

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted by the 56th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland on 21 May 2003. It became the first World Health Organization treaty adopted under ...

. The aim of Tobacco Control Cell is to enhance tobacco control efforts in Pakistan.

National Institute of Population Studies

National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) is the research organization established by the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

since 1986. The NIPS has been mandated to act as a technical arm of the Government for undertaking high quality research and to produce evidence-based data, information for utilization by the Public sector and others agencies for policy formulation, strategic planning and making reference in the spheres of demography, population & development and health.

Directorate of Malaria Control

Directorate of Malaria Control is a separate cell in ministry to co-ordinate country-wide efforts for implementation of Roll Back Malaria initiative for 50% reduction in the malaria burden in Pakistan by the year 2010. By the year 2015 >70% of the high risk population of Pakistan having access and using effective malaria prevention and treatment.

Programs

The ministry directly runs several federal health programs nationwide:

National AIDS Control Program

National AIDS Control Program (NACP) was established in 1986-87. In its early stages, the program focused on laboratory diagnosis of suspected HIV cases.

National Tuberculosis Control Program

Having treated 700,000 tuberculosis patients so far, free diagnosis and treatment and public awareness regarding the disease are the main components of this program. It is currently headed by Lt. Aazam Parvez, Pakistan Army Medical Corps.

Devolved programs

The following programs were transferred to provincial health departments in 2011. *National Program for Family Planning & Primary Health Care (LHW) Program LHW Program is the world's largest community based primary health care program delivering services through 96,000 LHWs in their own communities * Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) EPI is aimed at immunizing children against Childhood Tuberculosis,

Poliomyelitis Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

Diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

Pertussis Whooping cough ( or ), also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, bu ...

Measles Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...

Tetanus Tetanus (), also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'' and characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually l ...

and also their mothers against Tetanus. *National Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health (MNCH) Program The aim of the MNCH program is to improve accessibility and quality of health services and fill the resource gaps without duplicating inputs or activities. * National Program for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis More than 400,000 people have been vaccinated through this program, while 104 hospitals have been equipped to provide free treatment to patients.

References

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...