KARACHI:
The abortion rate in Pakistan is increasing, according to stats offered by senior consultant and gynaecologist Dr Nighat Shah, adding that couples were opting for abortions instead of using safer methods for birth control, such as oral/wearable contraceptives.
While speaking at a seminar on family planning organised by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) for World Health Day, Dr Shah claimed that this was happening as there was a high demand for different kinds of contraceptive products but there was no supply. She said that most hospitals in rural areas had kept birth control pills and other medication in storage and were not distributing them to the public.
Addressing an audience at PMA House on Thursday, Dr Shah said that the family planning target set by the government back in 1994 had still not been met. Currently, she claimed, only 31 per cent of people in the country were using contraception. The remaining 70 per cent were not using anything to prevent unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.
According to Shah, out of those using contraception only 6.8 per cent were using condoms while more traditional methods were popular in 7.9 per cent of families.
Explaining the consequences of frequent pregnancies and lack of awareness about contraceptives, Dr Shah said that it was the mothers and their newborns who suffered the most. “The mortality rate for mothers in Pakistan is 276 out of 100,000,” she said.
“I met a mother, her daughter and granddaughter — all three were pregnant at the same time.”
Dr Sikandar Sohani, a public health specialist, urged the participants to understand the benefits of family planning and said that a proper family set-up ensures a secure life.
Abortion not only jeopardizes the life of the mother, but also brings to an end the life of the unborn. While it is such a grave sin, taking action can prevent us from getting to this level. Let us feed our family planning clinics with enough supplies and create demand for them.
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