Pakistan

Inclusive approach: Mainstreaming birth spacing through groups that oppose it

Findings of a report by FALAH on family planning discussed.

Our Correspondent March 30, 2012

ISLAMABAD:

The unmet need for family planning can be addressed through interventions among the very groups believed to be against birth spacing services.

This was stated by Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali, at a seminar titled “Family Planning Revitalized: The FALAH Experience” on Thursday. The event was held to discuss findings of a report on the status of family planning by the Foundation for Awareness Literacy Agriculture and Health (FALAH), a charitable organisation.

At the discussion, the participants higlighted how religious leaders, district managers and volunteers could help mainstream the concept of birth spacing, which calls for healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies.

The report showed that by the initiatives taken by FALAH, the overall Lady Health Workers’ visitation rate and family planning clientele have witnessed a considerable rise in the past year, in addition to a nine per cent rise in contraceptive prevalence in districts such as Rajanpur, Charsadda, Sanghar and Mardan. The report also highlighted that a whopping 26,000 healthcare providers from public and private sectors were trained to provide client-centred reproductive health services to the people.

Commenting on the importance of birth spacing, USAID Deputy Mission Director Karen Freeman said, “The innovative interventions introduced by FALAH need to be sustained and scaled up so the benefits of the interventions can be reaped throughout the country.”

Goodwill Ambassador for Women Empowerment Fiza Batool Gillani urged the government, development partners, media and members of the civil society to provide continued support and commitment to further the cause of women and children, and to foster economic and social development.

Over 400 representatives of the federal and provincial government, USAID, donor organisations, educational institutes, non-government organisations and the civil society participated in the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2012.