Call for integrated approach to family planning

LAHORE:Stressing the need for family planning towards achieving national goals and country’s development, experts have stressed the need for an integrated approach and putting the agenda at the forefront by introducing reproductive health bill.

These thoughts were expressed in a Family Planning 2030 meeting held in connection with the World Population Day at a local hotel Friday.Participants in the meeting highlighted the impact of high population growth rate on its socio-economic development and emphasised its linkages with rising poverty and disparity, to climate change, high urbanisation and urban migration, all restraining investment in human development.

Technical Adviser and Focal Person Family Planning 2030 Dr Talib Lashari highlighted key reforms made under the FP2030 working group such as functional integration between the departments of health and population welfare.

Country Adviser of the Gates Foundation Dr Yasmin Qazi shared the historical perspective on family planning in Pakistan and stressed that ‘we need to work collaboratively to address the gaps and fulfil the unmet needs of couples who want access to family planning support’.

Country Director of Jhpiego Dr Fauzia Assad said that an integrated multi-sectoral approach was imperative for expansion of family planning choices by scaling up self-injection contraceptives.

She said that ‘we need to continue to innovate by inclusion of concepts such a self-care in family planning and in particular focus upon engaging men in the ongoing’.UNFPA representative Renuka Swami cautioned that with the world population reaching eight billion it underscored the need for moving from number towards making informed choices. She suggested engaging young people in the discourse of family planning.

The meeting concluded with the FP2030 partners reaffirming their support for the unified goal for working collaboratively for balanced population management and resultantly as stronger prosperous Pakistan.