Pakistan’s low health spending keeps mothers and children in peril: Report

A child’s future begins long before birth. It begins in the health of the mother, the quality of prenatal care, the availability of trained medical staff and the accessibility of healthcare facilities. 

In Pakistan, however, millions of women and children continue to enter life’s most vulnerable stages without adequate medical support. While isolated programmes have delivered measurable improvements in nutrition and maternal health, the broader picture remains deeply troubling. 

Across vast parts of the country, hospitals remain overcrowded, healthcare centres are under-equipped, and essential services are beyond the reach of many families.

Recent findings from the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP) have demonstrated that targeted interventions can reduce child stunting, low birth weight and premature births. Yet these gains also expose a larger and more uncomfortable reality. 

Pakistan continues to rank among the countries facing some of the highest burdens of maternal malnutrition, child stunting and preventable maternal and infant deaths. 

The persistence of these challenges reflects decades of underinvestment in public healthcare and a failure to build systems capable of protecting mothers and children on a national scale.

As economic pressures mount and public services struggle to cope with rising demand, Pakistan’s low health spending is increasingly emerging as a critical factor behind the country’s ongoing maternal and child health crisis.

A healthcare system running on limited resources.

Pakistan’s public expenditure on health has remained among the lowest in South Asia for years. 

According to government data, World Bank assessments, and reports from international health organisations, public healthcare spending has generally hovered between 1 percent and 1.5 percent of gross domestic product.

The consequences of this chronic underinvestment are visible across the healthcare system.

Public hospitals in major cities frequently operate beyond capacity. Patients often face long waiting times, shortages of medicines and limited access to specialised treatment. 

In rural districts, the situation is frequently worse. Basic healthcare facilities struggle with inadequate staffing, ageing infrastructure and insufficient medical equipment.

For pregnant women and young children, these deficiencies can carry life-threatening consequences. 

Access to prenatal care, skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric services remains inconsistent, particularly in remote regions where healthcare facilities are scarce.

The disparity between urban and rural healthcare access continues to shape health outcomes across the country. 

In many areas, a woman’s chances of receiving quality care remain heavily influenced by geography, income and social circumstances rather than medical need.

Maternal health remains a national concern

Pakistan continues to face significant challenges in maternal healthcare despite improvements in certain indicators over the past decade.

According to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and Pakistan’s health authorities, thousands of women continue to die each year from pregnancy-related complications. 

Many of these deaths occur in situations where access to timely medical care is limited.

Maternal malnutrition remains another major concern. Health experts warn that poor maternal nutrition affects not only the health of women but also the long-term development of their children. 

Undernourished mothers are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth, while their children face higher risks of low birth weight, developmental delays and chronic health problems.

The challenge is particularly severe in low-income communities where poverty, food insecurity and limited healthcare access intersect.

Recent studies have highlighted continuing disparities in maternal healthcare utilisation across provinces. Women living in rural Balochistan, interior Sindh and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa often face the greatest obstacles in accessing healthcare services.

These regional inequalities contribute to persistent gaps in maternal and child health outcomes across the country.

Child stunting continues to haunt generations

Pakistan’s child nutrition crisis remains one of the most serious public health concerns facing the country.

The latest National Nutrition Survey and international health assessments indicate that Pakistan continues to carry one of the world’s highest burdens of child stunting. 

Millions of children suffer from impaired growth linked to chronic malnutrition, inadequate healthcare and poor maternal health.

Stunting affects far more than physical growth. Medical research consistently shows that children who experience chronic malnutrition during their early years face increased risks of cognitive impairment, lower educational attainment and reduced economic productivity later in life.

This is why health experts frequently describe the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to a child’s second birthday—as a critical period for long-term development.

Recent findings from the Aga Khan University evaluation of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme offered rare encouragement. 

The study reported a 22 percent reduction in child stunting among beneficiary children at six months and an 18 percent reduction at one year. Researchers also documented declines in low birth weight, premature births and vulnerable newborns across multiple districts.

While these results demonstrate the effectiveness of targeted interventions, they also highlight the scale of the challenge that remains. Millions of children continue to grow up in environments characterised by nutritional deprivation and limited healthcare access.

Remote communities bear the greatest burden

The healthcare challenges facing mothers and children are most severe in Pakistan’s underserved regions.

In many remote districts, healthcare facilities remain difficult to access due to poor infrastructure, transportation barriers and shortages of trained medical personnel. 

Pregnant women often travel long distances to reach hospitals capable of handling complications during childbirth.

Reports from humanitarian organisations and provincial health departments continue to document cases in which women are unable to receive emergency medical attention in time. Such delays contribute significantly to maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

The situation has become even more complicated in areas affected by natural disasters.

Pakistan’s devastating floods in recent years damaged healthcare infrastructure across large parts of the country, disrupting access to essential services for millions of people. 

Women and children were among the most severely affected populations, facing increased risks of disease, malnutrition and inadequate medical care.

Climate-related disasters have therefore added another layer of pressure to an already strained healthcare system.

Economic pressures deepen health vulnerabilities

Pakistan’s broader economic difficulties have intensified many healthcare challenges.

Inflation, rising food prices and declining household purchasing power have reduced access to nutritious food for many families. 

For low-income households, healthcare expenses increasingly compete with other essential needs such as housing, transportation and education.

The result is delayed medical treatment, reduced prenatal care visits and worsening nutritional outcomes for mothers and children.

Healthcare professionals have repeatedly warned that economic hardship contributes directly to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Families facing financial stress often postpone seeking care until conditions become severe, increasing the likelihood of complications.

At the same time, public hospitals face growing demand from patients unable to afford private healthcare services.

This combination of rising demand and limited public investment has placed additional strain on already overstretched facilities.

A pattern of neglect beyond statistics

The statistics surrounding maternal mortality, child stunting and healthcare spending tell only part of the story.

Behind every percentage point lies a reality shaped by overcrowded maternity wards, understaffed clinics and communities where basic healthcare remains difficult to access. 

The challenges are not confined to isolated regions or temporary crises. They reflect systemic weaknesses that have persisted for decades despite repeated policy commitments.

The contrast between targeted programme successes and broader institutional shortcomings is particularly striking. 

While initiatives such as the Benazir Nashonuma Programme have delivered measurable benefits, they operate within a healthcare system still characterised by chronic underfunding and uneven service delivery.

As a result, improvements achieved through individual programmes often coexist with persistent structural vulnerabilities.

A generation at risk

Pakistan’s maternal and child health challenges illustrate the consequences of prolonged underinvestment in public healthcare. 

Despite progress in specific areas, the country continues to struggle with high levels of maternal malnutrition, child stunting and preventable health complications.

The success of targeted nutrition initiatives demonstrates that improvements are possible, but it also underscores the limitations of isolated interventions within a broader healthcare system facing resource constraints and institutional weaknesses.

For millions of women and children, access to quality healthcare remains uncertain, shaped by geography, income and the capacity of local facilities. 

The continued burden of malnutrition, inadequate maternal care, and overstretched health infrastructure reveals a healthcare system that remains unable to meet the needs of some of its most vulnerable citizens.

In a country where the earliest stages of life often determine future opportunities, Pakistan’s persistently low investment in healthcare continues to leave mothers and children exposed to risks that many of its regional peers have worked harder to reduce.