Like most developing countries, Pakistan too faces enormous challenges in the sphere of reproductive healthcare. Safe delivery of the child and the health of the mother is a matter of routine in most advanced countries. However and sadly, the infant mortality rate in Pakistan is among the highest in developing countries.
The main reason for this sad state of affairs is ignorance. If women especially in remote areas are provided the very basic information in reproductive healthcare many lives would be saved. Additionally, this fundamental education must be augment with regular visits by social health workers and free distribution of essential medicines.
Taking the above factors into consideration, it is imperative that the central and local governments take proactive measures to deal with this intrinsic, and to a large extent, preventable human tragedy. These are: (1) Provide basic education in reproductive healthcare to women especially in rural areas. (2) Train and deploy a battery of health workers who can provide basic knowledge along with essential antiseptics and other healing medicines to poor women who neither have the access or the money to purchase these essentials safety kits.
(3) Provision of necessary contraceptive medium so that effective spacing can be adopted. Family planning, counseling and related information and services are essential. (4) In rare cases, where the life of the woman and child are at sure and certain risk, an abortion can be operated to save lives and post-abortion care can be provided. (5) In cases of sexually transmitted diseases, the woman must be counseled and complicated cases must be referred to hospitals in cities and towns that can deal effectively with such cases.
Family planning services are both daunting and challenging. It needs education, skill, understanding and a personal rapport with the people. Common products such as pills, condoms among others must be available free to the poor.
Finally, we have to appreciate that most of the women will not come to health clinics on their own. Men must also be educated about family planning and its benefits to encourage their spouses to go to these clinics. Mobile units must venture into remote areas if the programme is to be successful.
The government along with NGOs must play their role. A healthy mother is a healthy nation. Nothing is more important.
