Pakistan Aims to Reform Health Sector with National Institute of Health Reorganisation Bill

The Pakistani government has made significant efforts to reform the country's health sector, with President Asif Ali Zardari approving the National Institute of Health (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill 2025. This bill, passed by the National Assembly on August 12, 2025, aims to reorganise the institution and establish a cancer database. The bill also seeks to provide legal clarity regarding the imposition of anti-dumping duties on projects funded by Chinese grants, with President Zardari approving the Anti-Dumping Duties Amendment Bill 2025.

Key Takeaways:

• The National Institute of Health (NIH) Reorganisation Bill aims to reorganise the institution and establish a cancer database to understand the actual burden of disease and implement a national action plan for cancer prevention.
• The bill seeks to provide legal clarity regarding the imposition of anti-dumping duties on projects funded by Chinese grants, with President Zardari approving the Anti-Dumping Duties Amendment Bill 2025.
• The centre will register cancer patients in a central repository to understand the actual burden of disease and implement a national action plan for cancer prevention.
• The personal particulars of a cancer patient will not be disclosed to any unauthorized person without prior written consent.
• The bill aims to encourage awareness at the village and union council level and work with other governmental and non-governmental agencies to eradicate cancer.
• The Global Cancer Observatory reported a total of 178,388 cancer cases in Pakistan in 2020, which is a severe underestimation of the true cancer burden in Pakistan, considering the country's population of 220 million.
• Several attempts at establishing a national cancer registry in Pakistan have failed in the past due to resource limitations.
• The Anti-Dumping Duties Amendment Bill 2025 aims to provide legal clarity regarding the imposition of anti-dumping duties on projects funded by China, with duties effective from July 1, 2020.

Statistics:

• 178,388: The total number of cancer cases in Pakistan in 2020, according to the Global Cancer Observatory.
• 220 million: The population of Pakistan.
• July 1, 2020: The date from which anti-dumping duties will be effective.
• August 12, 2025: The date on which the National Assembly passed the NIH Reorganisation Bill.

Sources:

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"Islamabad -- In a bid to reform the health sector, President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday approved the National Institute of Health (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill 2025, which aims to reorganise the institution and also set up a cancer database. The president also approved the Anti-Dumping Duties Amendment Bill 2025 for legal clarity regarding the imposition of anti-dumping duties on projects funded by Chinese grants."

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"The National Assembly passed the NIH bill on August 12, 2025. 'There is a dire need for establishing the national cancer registry to understand the actual burden of disease, and to implement a national action plan for cancer prevention, and management strategies to control the growing epidemic,' according to the bill."

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"It said that the approval of the bill marked a significant step toward reforms in the health sector and institutional improvement. The NIH bill said that the centre 'shall assure the registration of cancer patients in central repository' to understand the actual burden of disease and to implement a national action plan for its prevention."

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"According to the Global Cancer Observatory, the total number of cases in Pakistan was 178,388 in 2020; and these figures were provided by the Punjab Cancer Registry, which represented the population of Lahore and some parts of central Punjab."

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"'Considering the overall 220 million population, these figures are severe underestimation of the true cancer burden in Pakistan,' the bill added."

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"The President Secretariat's media wing said that the bill was approved to provide legal clarity regarding the imposition of anti-dumping duties on projects, funded by China."