Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar has said that efforts were afoot to provide better health care and family planning services to people at their doorsteps.
Addressing a seminar on family planning organised by the Population Council on Wednesday, she described the population growth as a major challenge facing the country. She said though the subjects of population and health have been devolved to provinces, yet the federal government is coordinating with the provinces to rectify shortcomings of these sectors.
She said lady health workers are playing a key role in the rural areas. Maternal and child care is the basic responsibility of lady health workers and with the passage of time they have been engaged in other programs including polio vaccination.
A high-level meeting of the provincial health ministers will soon be held to discuss the future role of lady health workers, she added. She said religious scholars should also be taken on board to check the growing population through modern family planning services.
Country Representative Population Council Zeba Sattar, in her welcome address, said the family planning is an important area which has been neglected in the past. She emphasised the need for creating awareness amongst masses about the family planning services and provision of the services to small towns and far flung areas.