Pak–India collaborations in health: Insights and way forward

Abstract

Commonalities abound varied health challenges confronting Pakistan and India. Some of these warrant joint collaborative solutions. This study presents existing health collaborations by mapping out active connections between the countries, through a literature review and clinical and public health professionals' interviews. It reveals that a diversity of practices exist beyond the usual notions of 'collaboration' usually depicted in the literature. Outcomes from such initiatives included enhanced learning and exchanges of information and research across various communities and contexts. In various adoptions of the term, contextualisation within and between countries and amongst particular communities is cited as important. Travel and mobility restriction emerged as one key issue that hampers and discourages collaborations. Key lessons conveyed by the participants included an enabling environment, missing on both sides of the border. Opportunities and recommendations are presented to address the obstacles that discourage cross-border dialogue and to enhance collaborations between the two countries.

Image quality in telehealth: challenges in developing countries

“…In India, satellitebased screening for retinopathy has been recommended, however, the viability of using such systems remains problematic due to the inconsistency of broadband delivery across the country [20]. It is evident that in both Pakistan and India, there is a similarity of challenges faced by the healthcare sector associated with the reliability of the countries ICT infrastructure [7,9,[21][22][23][24].…”

Equitable Access to Comprehensive Surgical Care: The Potential of Indigenous Private Philanthropy in Low‐Income Settings

“…According to the most recent World Bank development indicators, Pakistan’s government has allocated between 2.2 and 3.7 % of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare from 1995 to 2010, with expenditure trending downward [26]. Total annual per capita expenditure on health care ranges from PKR 750 to 800 (USD 12 to USD 13 in 2006 USD) [27]. Out‐of‐pocket financing accounts for 70–80 % of per capita expenditures on health, with less than 30 % being publicly funded [27].…”

“…Total annual per capita expenditure on health care ranges from PKR 750 to 800 (USD 12 to USD 13 in 2006 USD) [27]. Out‐of‐pocket financing accounts for 70–80 % of per capita expenditures on health, with less than 30 % being publicly funded [27]. The estimated gross national income (GNI) per capita was USD 1250 in 2012, but 61 % of the population lived on less than USD 2 per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity [28].…”

“…The estimated gross national income (GNI) per capita was USD 1250 in 2012, but 61 % of the population lived on less than USD 2 per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity [28]. Private facilities in Pakistan are primarily financed through a fee‐for‐service mechanism, with less than 1 % of health care pre‐paid by insurance [27]. This failure of the government to provide equitable access to health care for its citizens and a large population unable to pay for out‐of‐pocket health expenditure has created a service gap that philanthropy‐based health organizations have tried to fill [27].…”

“…Private facilities in Pakistan are primarily financed through a fee‐for‐service mechanism, with less than 1 % of health care pre‐paid by insurance [27]. This failure of the government to provide equitable access to health care for its citizens and a large population unable to pay for out‐of‐pocket health expenditure has created a service gap that philanthropy‐based health organizations have tried to fill [27]. An estimated 1800 non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) now provide health care services across Pakistan [29, 30].…”