Unbridled increase in population to diffuse economic growth benefits: Mirza

Report says unintended pregnancies cause more maternal, newborn deaths

Economic growth in the country will be diffused because of the high level of population growth, said Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza.

He stressed the need of sustainable population growth to reap the benefit of economic progress.

Mirza was speaking at the launch of the Population Council and Guttmacher's Report titled "Adding It Up: Costs and Benefits of Meeting the Contraceptive and Maternal and Newborn Health Needs of Women in Pakistan''.

Mirza reiterating his government's commitment to population welfare stressed the need of sustainable population growth.

He said that this study provides strong research-based evidence of how much additional money Pakistan needs for mother and child healthcare and contraceptive care that will guide the government to increase funding in these areas.

This study will be helpful in policymaking, allocation of funds and initiation of a constructive dialogue to overcome issues posed by unprecedented population growth, Mirza said.

According to the report, new estimates produced jointly by the Guttmacher Institute and the Population Council reveal critical gaps in reproductive health services for women of reproductive age(15–49) in Pakistan.

The new report examines the current needs for contraceptive services for married women and for maternal and newborn health care for all women of reproductive age, quantifies the health benefits of investing in these services, and provides estimates of the cost of fully meeting these needs.

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The research shows that simultaneously expanding both modern contraceptive services and maternal and newborn care would not only maximise benefits to women but would also be an efficient use of funds. Currently, about half of the 16.8 million married women in Pakistan who want no more children or want to postpone having a child for at least two years are not using a modern contraceptive method.

Providing modern contraception to all married women in Pakistan who need it would yield large benefits. Compared with 2017 levels, increased contraceptive services alone would result in 3.1 million fewer unintended pregnancies (an 82% decline), 2.1 million fewer induced abortions (an 82% decline), nearly 1,000 fewer maternal deaths (a 9% decline).

According to the report, the current cost of providing modern contraceptive services in Pakistan is $81 million per year (as per 2017 exchange rate). Expanding those services to cover all married women with an unmet need for modern contraception would cost an estimated $173 million annually.

Importantly, simultaneous investment in meeting the needs for modern contraception and maternal and newborn health care would cost less compared with focusing on maternal and newborn health care alone—reducing the cost of maternal and newborn care to $1.65 billion from $1.89 billion.

Each additional dollar spent on expanding modern contraceptive use would save more than $2.50 on maternal and newborn health care.

Population Council Country Director, a co-author of the report, Zeba Sathar said: "This study provides robust evidence that makes the investment case for additional financing for family planning services in Pakistan.”

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Investing more in contraceptive care, especially within the public health system, will produce a much-needed boost in meeting both family planning and maternal health goal will support the 2018 Council of Common Interests recommendations on family planning, and lead to overall savings by reducing the additional costs of unintended pregnancies.

"Comprehensive strategies to improve reproductive health care are vital for ensuring the well-being of women and their families," Guttmacher Institute International Research Vice President Susheela Singh said: "Fully meeting the need for modern contraception while simultaneously providing high-quality maternal and newborn health care to all who need it should be prioritised."

The authors recommend engaging federal governments and provincial governments, private sector and international development partners in fulfilling the demand for modern contraceptive care and in fully meeting the need for maternal and newborn care. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2019.