Population Council scales up family planning vouchers

Initiative is being expanded in Punjab for BISP beneficiaries

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan's rapid population growth is a major challenge to development and the well-being of its citizens. While many seek better family planning options, access to services remains limited, particularly for the underprivileged.

To address this issue, the Population Council Pakistan (PCB) piloted a family planning voucher model for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries. This initiative is now being expanded in Punjab by the Punjab Population Innovation Fund (PPIF).

To further scale up family planning services through social protection agencies, the Population Council Pakistan organised a high-level roundtable discussion titled "Scaling Up Family Planning Vouchers in Pakistan."

The event brought together government officials and development partners to discuss solutions for improving access to family planning (FP) services, particularly for underserved communities.

Senator Rubina Khalid stated, "Through our Kafaalat and Nashonuma programmes, we are dedicated to improving the well-being of women and children. Our National Socioeconomic Registry enables us to extend vital support to the most vulnerable segments of society." She stressed the importance of FP service provision, particularly in remote and marginalized communities.

Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho highlighted that "Voucher programmes allow us to reach women who face barriers in accessing FP services, ensuring they can make informed choices about their reproductive health." She emphasised integrating FP services into programmes like Mamta and Aghosh and advocated for in-kind services over conditional cash transfers.

Dr. Zeba Sathar, Country Director of Population Council Pakistan, emphasised, "Despite years of commitments, progress on family planning remains insufficient. With nearly six million unplanned pregnancies annually and 3.8 million women resorting to induced abortions, urgent, scalable interventions are needed." She cited the success of the Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) voucher pilot as an effective model for directing government resources to underserved populations.

Jo Moir, Development Director, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), noted, "Since 2017, through the DAFPAK Programme, we have reached over 10.8 million women across all provinces. However, overcoming cultural and societal barriers remains a key challenge." Moir reaffirmed the UK's commitment to supporting scalable and impactful interventions like family planning vouchers to meet the reproductive health needs of Pakistani women.

Liaqat Ali Khan emphasised that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on track to achieve its family planning (FP) objectives, sustained progress requires stronger federal and provincial collaboration. He advocated for incentive-based approaches rather than coercive measures to promote FP.

The event also featured presentations on successful family planning voucher programmes. Population Council's Director Programmes, Iram Kamran shared insights from the RYK pilot.