‘Need for family planning is staggeringly high in Pakistan’

Panellists stressed taking steps to ensure access to safe contraceptive methods, maternal health

KARACHI: Commemorating the World Contraception Day, which was observed earlier this week, Marie Stopes Society (MSS), in collaboration with the Express Media Group, organised a seminar, titled ‘Sehatmand ma, sehatmand bache, sehatmand Pakistan’ [healthy mother, healthy children, healthy Pakistan] on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, a panel of experts highlighted the importance of family planning, population control and maternal health. They stressed that ensuring maternal health will eventually lead to the development of a healthier population as well as the need to recognise family planning and birth spacing as women’s basic rights.

Shedding light on the significance of birth control, MSS Country Director Asma Bilal said, “Given the high rates of maternal mortality, rise in the number of child stunting cases and poverty gripping more than 38% of the country’s population, ensuring that citizens have access to safe contraception methods can directly contribute to the national development agenda.”

Population Welfare Department Secretary Zahid Ali Abbasi, who was also the chief guest on the occasion, said, “The need for family planning is staggeringly high in Pakistan.”

While he acknowledged that the Sindh government has been making concerted efforts to ensure the availability of contraceptives to the people in the province, Abbasi pointed the issues that work as barriers in the way of family planning. “Misperceptions, lack of trained staff and others challenges still exist,” he said. “To make a real difference in the area [of family planning], awareness needs to be raised, citizens should be provided proper counseling and stakeholders should put in collective efforts to resolve the issue,” he added.

Concluding the seminar, the panellists emphasised the need for the public and the private sector to work towards the cause and discussed ways to raise awareness about the issue and facilitate citizens’ access to family planning services.

Dr Sadiah Pal, gynaecologist and a senior member of the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health, Pfizer Public Affairs and Communication Country Head Syed Nasir Imam, and Rashid Sami, a filmmaker, also attended the seminar. The panel was moderated by MSS Director Strategy Dr Xaher Gul.

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