Call for improving family planning outcomes
Family planning award recipient says maternal deaths linked to unhealthy spacing. PHOTO: FILE
Speakers at a two-day learning event, held in the federal capital by Delivering Accelerated Family Planning In Pakistan (DAFPAK), a leading organisation dedicated to improving population health outcomes in Pakistan, stressed improving the family planning outcomes across the country by improving access to services for the most vulnerable section of the society.
Addressing the event titled “Pakistan’s Population: A Brighter Future For All”, Acting British High Commissioner to Pakistan Andrew Dalgleish said the British High Commission has been investing in family planning since 2012 in Pakistan.
“Our current support programme, DAFPAK, is the largest donor-funded programme on family planning which has served over eight million women and girls in most marginalised areas,” he said.
Chief Guest, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry, emphasised the urgency of addressing the population growth rate, stating, “Unless we control our population, we won't be able to distribute resources in a manner where we can provide healthcare, education and bright futures to our people. Our future is linked to how fast we can control Pakistan’s population growth.”
Delivering Accelerated Family Planning In Pakistan (DAFPAK) is a £90m Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) programme that aims to improve family planning outcomes across Pakistan by improving access to family planning services for the most vulnerable and disseminating messages for the common good under a platform called KhairKhwah.
Rapid population growth in Pakistan has created immense pressure on the country's resources, and it has become difficult to provide essential services such as healthcare and education to all citizens.
The event aims to address these issues and come up with strategies to improve population health.
Dr Sara Shahzad, Health Advisor, FCDO, highlighted the need for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, improved partnerships with the private sector, and a holistic multi-sectoral approach towards family planning.
Goodwill Ambassador for Population & Family Planning, Shehzad Roy, while addressing the event emphasised the significance of transforming mindsets alongside policy changes.
“As a global ambassador of Family Planning, I would like to share that while inventing new policies is very important, what’s even more important is changing mindsets because only then we’ll be able to bring true change,” he said.
For two days, participants will share their insights on family planning, population growth, and its impact on the country. The event features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions.
The event is being organised by Palladium Pakistan under DAFPAK-PSSD in collaboration with UNFPA, PSI, MSS, DKT, and M&C Saatchi in partnership with The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Islamabad, and provincial Health and Population Welfare Departments of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2023.