CM approves Sindh Population Policy 2016

Increasing contraceptive prevalence rate key focus of policy plan; Rs1bn okayed for five-year implementation period

Karachi

In an encouraging first, the province’s chief minister has accorded approval to the Sindh Population Policy 2016 and officially set aside Rs1 billion for its five-year implementation period.

As per a communiqué issued on Friday, a point of focus in the policy plan is enhancing Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) from the current estimate of 30 percent to a minimum of 40 percent by the year 2020.

For the purpose, the government plans to conduct awareness drives to increase the CPR rate from 30 percent as in 2015 to a minimum of 40 percent by 2020. The targets also include improving replacement level fertility rates, which stood at 2.1 births per woman by 2013. The policy envisions increased access to family planning and reproductive health services in remote areas of the province by 2017. The population welfare department would also be working on reducing the rate of unmet family planning needs from 21 percent to 15 percent by 2020.

The plan calls for attaining a decrease in fertility levels from 3.9 in 2013 to 3 births per woman by 2020, and also for ensuring contraceptive commodity security of up to 80 percent at all public services outlets by 2018.  

For the implementation of the policy plan, the chief minister has approved a budget of Rs1 billion to be used over a period of five years. The population welfare department, however, may also seek other donors to finance further requirements. 

The statement quoted CM Murad Ali Shah as saying, “This policy is geared towards promotion of a prosperous, healthy, educated and knowledge-based society where all citizens are provided equal access to information and quality family planning and reproductive health services.”