CII on birth spacing

Pakistan stands at a critical demographic and health crossroads. With one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world outside Africa, a population of almost 250 million, high food insecurity and limited water, there is an urgent need for population policy reforms that keep the living alive while reducing the pace of new additions. Birth spacing could be an important tool towards this goal.

The practice is straightforward — deliberate intervals between pregnancies to allow a woman's body to recover. Pregnancies too close together deplete a mother's nutritional reserves, significantly increasing risks of anemia, hemorrhage, miscarriage, and even maternal death. Adequate spacing allows her body to recover, leading to healthier pregnancies and stronger babies. It also helps women post-pregnancy, as healthier mothers can do more for their children.

Birth spacing can also lead to smaller families, as parents have the time to plan and decide how many children they can raise. A recent Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) ruling has also strengthened this argument. The CII has endorsed birth spacing for maternal health and family planning, saying Islam not only permits, but even encourages responsible family planning. This religious endorsement will go a long way in dispelling misconceptions about family planning, and could help cross cultural barriers to discuss related subjects, such as contraception.

Whether or not the government can actually capitalise on the edict, however, is up for debate. Federal and provincial authorities have failed to get contraception awareness or availability up to acceptable levels due to cultural barriers, leading to nonsensical awareness campaigns and a lack of political will caused by elected officials' fear of offending religious voters. The CII has created an opportunity for the government to actually design and implement a comprehensive, modern policy, but it is still unknown who, if anyone, is willing to take the first step.