‘Involve private sector in family planning services’

Low uptake of contraceptives is major contributor to Pakistan’s high maternal, child, and infant mortality

ISLAMABAD:

Civil Society Organisations' Population Coalition urged the federal and provincial governments to involve family physicians and pharmacies to improve access to contraceptives and family planning services.

The meeting was organised by the Population Council with the support of UNFPA on Friday.

In his welcome remarks, Dr Ali Mir, Senior Director Program, Population Council said that National Action plan on population management clearly stipulates a role of private sector and pharmacies in family planning service provision to enhance universal access to family planning services. “CSOs can play their role in supporting and encouraging governments to harness the private sector across the country to remove hurdles in provision of family planning services”, he added.

Read Strategies for effective family planning urged

Explaining Population Council’s experience on engaging male family physicians and pharmacies to expand family planning services in rural communities, Samia Ali Shah Project Director Population Council, said, “Service delivery through male family physicians stimulates male engagement in crucial decision of birth spacing in a family as well as in the society.”

She observed that low uptake of contraceptives is a major contributor to Pakistan’s high maternal, child, and infant mortality. One in seven women are undernourished, 42% of Women of Reproductive Age are anemic, while 27% and 21% are deficient in vitamin A and zinc, respectively,” She added.

Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians DOCTORSCONCSOs Senior Vice President Dr Saima Zubair emphasised that targeted initiatives must be taken by the government to meet the unmet need among the poorer women.

They also called on provincial governments to ensure the supply of contraceptives and greater involvement of the private sector in family planning service provision.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2023.