- Dr Azra says planned parenthood is the best way to address poverty
- Dr Lashari says rising population strains infrastructure and social services
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has said that rapid population growth is an issue that cannot be overlooked when planning for development sector.
She expressed these views while speaking as a guest of honour at the sixth meeting of the Sindh FP2020 Working Group here. The meeting was chaired by Sindh FP2020 Working Group President MNA Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho.
The meeting was attended by the members of FP2020 Working Group consisting of multiple stakeholders, including public sector organisations; USAID and its partners; United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA); non-government organisations, professional organisations like Society of Gynecologists of Pakistan (SOGP); NCMNCH; donors and other development partners.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari pledged her support for the objectives of the FP2020 Working Group on unchecked population growth. Aseefa further said that she may also visit districts and rural and remote areas and would play her role to mobilise young women and girls so that the province can achieve its policy objectives under international commitments made by Pakistan.
Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, while chairing the meeting, said that the planned parenthood is one of the ways to address poverty. She stressed the need for reducing high fertility rate which is the main cause for rapid population growth. She emphasised that it was necessary to engage young couples for planned parenthood.
She pointed out the need for integrating Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) methods into the curriculum so that adolescents are educated about their basic needs of nutrition, hygiene, planning their future and other needs.
Sindh Public Health Oversight Committee Coordinator Shahnaz Wazir Ali said that the efforts of the Sindh FP2020 Working Group are regarded as best practice by other provinces, and the province has become a role model in this regard since it is far ahead in achieving its FP2020 goals.
FP2020 Focal Person and Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) Technical Advisor Dr Talib Lashari gave a detailed presentation on linkages between planned parenthood and socio-economic development and the status of implementation of CIP activities in Sindh.
Dr Lashari said that rising population strains infrastructure and social services like electricity, clean water, education, health, transportation etc. He said that as per credible surveys, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) of Sindh stands at 30% which means fewer couples are using the Planned Parenthood services. If the lower rate of CPR continues it will require more hospitals, schools to be built; more jobs to be created and more need for food.
Dr Lashari said that Sindh is the first province to come up with a robust family planning initiative called Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) in response to Pakistan’s international commitments thus; Sindh government is trying best to address the issue of rapid population growth.
Sindh Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho said that the department was working towards integrating the different health programmes related to planned parenthood to make a coordinated effort to ensure the provision of services.
Sindh Population Welfare Department Secretary Laeeq Ahmed pointed out that the province was making much progress on FP2020 initiative because there was a commitment from the highest level of the government.
The representative from the Finance and Planning and Development departments also committed their support to the ongoing work towards achieving Sindh’s FP2020 goals.
At the end, Dr Talib Lashari presented a copy of the Costed Implementation Plan to Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.
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