PESHAWAR: Advisor to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said on Thursday that reproductive health was not merely a health issue but a cornerstone of sustainable national development.
“The quality of a population rather than its size alone determines the trajectory of a nation’s progress,” he remarked while addressing a workshop on Peshawar media coalition on reproductive health.
The CM aide said that under Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had launched key maternal health initiatives, including nutrition support for expectant mothers, the ‘Nourish Maa’ campaign to improve maternal nutrition, and extensive training programmes for healthcare providers.
The integrated health project, he said, had unified various health services for better delivery, adding that the efforts were aimed at reducing maternal mortality and improving healthcare access across the province.
He revealed that during his tenure as prime minister, PTI founder Imran Khan had launched major initiatives to improve maternal health in Pakistan. The Sehat Sahulat Programme provided free health insurance covering maternity care for millions. He initiated the construction of mother and child hospitals, a 200-bed facility in Attock.
Through the Ehsaas Programme, he said maternal nutrition was prioritised with supplements and awareness drives. Additionally, micro health insurance under Kamyab Pakistan offered free services to millions, including maternal care. These efforts, he added, had significantly enhanced access to quality maternal health services nationwide.
“Reproductive health and family planning are fundamental elements in shaping a productive and healthy society. A well-facilitated and health-conscious population is a prerequisite for national development,” Barrister Saif remarked.
He pointed out that the persistent gap between policy and its implementation is one of Pakistan’s critical challenges. While acknowledging the existence of policy frameworks at national level, Dr. Saif noted that real progress requires reducing the gap between policy formulation and its implementation.
Barrister Saif urged the media to play its role as a responsible partner in development, using its platforms to raise awareness, counter misinformation and advocate for evidence-based health initiatives.
“The pen in your hands can shape the discourse, dispel myths and push the state toward meaningful reform,” he said.“A developed nation is not one that merely drafts sound policies, but one that ensures their timely and equitable execution. We must shift from reactive to proactive governance if we are to truly address our social challenges,” he asserted.
Highlighting the cultural and social dimensions of reproductive health, Barrister Saif clarified that past efforts relied too heavily on top-down, externally driven approaches without adequately engaging local communities, religious scholars and relevant stakeholders. He stressed that sociocultural dynamics must be respected and integrated into public health strategies.
“There is a critical difference between religion and religiosity,” he said. “The failure has often been in confronting religious apprehensions instead of constructively engaging religious scholars, community elders and opinion leaders. Without this engagement, even the most well-funded programmes will fail to reach hearts and minds.”
He also underscored the need for building “acceptable social awareness” around reproductive health. He said that campaigns must be designed in ways that align with local customs, values and religious sensitivities.