MINGORA: Speakers at an event on Friday said approximately 3.8 million unintended pregnancies occur annually in Pakistan, posing serious health risks to women.
They were addressing a session convened by the Population Council in collaboration with UNFPA. The theme was “New Developments in the Landscape of Reproductive Health in Pakistan and the Role of Media.”
Journalists, religious scholars, and health experts attended the event to deliberate on strengthening family planning and reproductive health through media engagement.
Dr Saima Zubair, Information Secretary of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Pakistan and Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians, pointed out alarming figures.
She said Pakistan’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 180 per 100,000 live births, while neonatal mortality was 64 per 1,000 live births.The doctor emphasized that ensuring a 24-month birth interval could reduce neonatal mortality by up to 50 percent.
Ikramul Ahad, Deputy Manager Communications at the Population Council, highlighted recent developments in population and family planning. These included the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) declaration endorsing birth spacing as being in line with Islamic teachings for maternal and child health; the prime minister’s establishment of a high-level committee on population; the removal of sales tax on contraceptives; and a National Assembly resolution recognizing population growth as a national priority.
Dr Ali Mir, Senior Director at the Population Council, said that while these initiatives were welcome, significant disparities persisted both between and within provinces in terms of socio-economic indicators. He stressed the crucial role of media in bridging these gaps and ensuring effective implementation of government policies.
Allama Tahmeed Jan al-Azhari, Executive Director of the International Research Council for Religious Affairs (IRCRA), described the recent CII declaration as a milestone.
He stated: “Islam not only allows but encourages birth spacing as a means to improve maternal and child health and to promote family well-being.”Participants at the meeting agreed that the convergence of religious support, political will, and financial facilitation had created a unique opportunity.