Population Council scales up family planning vouchers
Pakistan's rapid population growth is a major challenge to development and the well-being of its citizens. While many seek better family planning options, access to services remains limited, particularly for the underprivileged.
To address this issue, the Population Council Pakistan (PCB) piloted a family planning voucher model for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries. This initiative is now being expanded in Punjab by the Punjab Population Innovation Fund (PPIF).
To further scale up family planning services through social protection agencies, the Population Council Pakistan organised a high-level roundtable discussion titled "Scaling Up Family Planning Vouchers in Pakistan."
The event brought together government officials and development partners to discuss solutions for improving access to family planning (FP) services, particularly for underserved communities.
Senator Rubina Khalid stated, "Through our Kafaalat and Nashonuma programmes, we are dedicated to improving the well-being of women and children. Our National Socioeconomic Registry enables us to extend vital support to the most vulnerable segments of society." She stressed the importance of FP service provision, particularly in remote and marginalized communities.
Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho highlighted that "Voucher programmes allow us to reach women who face barriers in accessing FP services, ensuring they can make informed choices about their reproductive health." She emphasised integrating FP services into programmes like Mamta and Aghosh and advocated for in-kind services over conditional cash transfers.
Dr. Zeba Sathar, Country Director of Population Council Pakistan, emphasised, "Despite years of commitments, progress on family planning remains insufficient. With nearly six million unplanned pregnancies annually and 3.8 million women resorting to induced abortions, urgent, scalable interventions are needed." She cited the success of the Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) voucher pilot as an effective model for directing government resources to underserved populations.
Jo Moir, Development Director, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), noted, "Since 2017, through the DAFPAK Programme, we have reached over 10.8 million women across all provinces. However, overcoming cultural and societal barriers remains a key challenge." Moir reaffirmed the UK's commitment to supporting scalable and impactful interventions like family planning vouchers to meet the reproductive health needs of Pakistani women.
Liaqat Ali Khan emphasised that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on track to achieve its family planning (FP) objectives, sustained progress requires stronger federal and provincial collaboration. He advocated for incentive-based approaches rather than coercive measures to promote FP.
The event also featured presentations on successful family planning voucher programmes. Population Council's Director Programmes, Iram Kamran shared insights from the RYK pilot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
16 hours ago
- Business Recorder
‘CM's Children's Heart Surgery Programme' yielding good results: minister
LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said on Monday that thousands of children have undergone cardiac surgeries completely free of cost through the Chief Minister's Children's Heart Surgery Programme. The Chief Minister's Dialysis Programme and the Chief Minister's Special Initiative for Transplant Programme are also successfully running he said while addressing a 'Stroke Awareness' seminar at the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS). A video was also launched on the occasion to create awareness about provincial stroke. An electric stroke ambulance was also launched on the occasion. COO PCB Sameer Syed, cricketer Aqib Javed, Olympic player gold medalist Arshad Nadeem, cricketer Azhar Ali, cricketer Aamir Jamal, cricketer Noman Ali, cricketer Muhammad Harira and coach Salman Butt were present on the occasion. Secretary Emergency Services Department Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Prof. Asif Bashir, Principal Amir ud din Medical College/General Hospital Lahore Prof. Farooq Afzal, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razzaq, Principal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Prof Zohra Khanum, and others were present. Prof Qasim Bashir explained the aims and objectives of the awareness seminar. Khawaja Salman Rafique, in his address to the participants said, 'Today, the presence of PCB stars is highlighting the importance of this awareness seminar. Under the leadership of respected brother Mohsin Naqvi, PCB is making Pakistan proud all over the world.' The minister further said that nurses are the daughters of this nation who are busy serving patients in hospitals day and night. Currently, 14 primary stroke centers are functioning across Punjab, he said. Secretary Emergency Services Department Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer said that so far, rescuers have saved the public from losses worth Rs 700 billion by providing timely emergency services. More than 180 patients have been saved through air ambulances to date, he added. COO PCB Sameer Syed said that we have responded to the mission of Prof Qasim Bashir, we should spread awareness about stroke from house to house. Former cricketer Aqib Javed said that awareness is more important than the treatment of any disease, it is a very good initiative for stroke patients. Cricketer Azhar Ali said that awareness about stroke will benefit the public a lot and appreciated this effort of the Punjab government. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Business Recorder
World Population Day: Message from Hafeezullah Abbasi, Secretary Population Welfare Department, Government of Sindh
Population Welfare Department Sindh commemorates World Population Day on 11th July to raise awareness about the adverse impacts of the province's high population growth rate, currently at 2.5%. This day highlights the need for sustainable population management and the wide-ranging benefits of smaller family sizes, including improved health, education, economic stability, climate resilience, and a better quality of life. Under the leadership of Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister for Health and Population Welfare Sindh, the department has undertaken several key initiatives to strengthen family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) services: Digitalization of Client Data: The department transitioned from paper-based client registration to a real-time Electronic Client Record (ECR) system, enabling evidence-based decision-making. All PWDS service delivery points (SDPs) are now on ECR, while PPHI and DoH would be reporting fully on ECR these years. Contraceptive Commodity Security: Despite import and foreign exchange challenges, PWDS continues annual contraceptive procurement under a pooled provincial model, ensuring supply for all public and private stakeholders. Post Partum Family Planning: PPFP/ PAFP services are introduced at tertiary hospitals of Health Department. Population Welfare Department Sindh provides training and contraceptives to all Tertiary Care Hospitals of Sindh. The Counsellors, hired by vital Pakistan international, are available 24/7 there to counsel the families to seek PPFP/PAFF services. Functional Integration: The functional integration with public and private sectors is streamlined for providing Family planning services. Visibility and Accessibility of Service Delivery Points: 230 FWCs are branded resulting in improved visibility of Family Welfare Centers and increase in FP client's number. With the support of private partner(TCI/Green Star)the facilities are made over in Hyderabad and Karachi. Monitoring System: Traditional report-based Monitoring Mechanism is improved by introducing modern electronic and real time web-based Monitoring system under mHealth scheme. Awareness Sessions: For spreading meaningful awareness regarding benefits of Family Planning, department has made a structured plan to conduct awareness sessions in universities, colleges, and higher secondary schools to sensitize youth. Public Private Partnership: Population Welfare Department Sindh fully supports public private partnership in terms of family planning services. NGOs, private health networks and private health facilities are registered to provide FP services. 428 private partners are registered. Male engagement and Social Male Mobilization: The Social Male Mobilizers are activated. Male Moblisers strategy and Male engagement Strategy are prepared with the support of Jhpiego and Pathfinder respectively. Willows International is collaborating as a result over 3,236 NSV (Non-Scalpel Vasectomy) cases performed in 2 years.1213 cases in 2025 alone - showing growing male participation. In Larkana 109 cases have been performed in the last 2 months. On this occasion, I extend my sincere appreciation to the entire PWDS team and our valued partners for their dedication and contribution. Together, we remain committed to upholding reproductive rights and addressing the demographic challenges faced by Sindh. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
02-07-2025
- Business Recorder
Population projected to exceed 386m mark by 2050: minister
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal expressed his serious concern over the current annual population growth rate of 2.55 per cent, after the meeting he was chairing on Wednesday was told that Pakistan's population is projected to exceed 386 million by 2050. The high-level meeting on population management concluded with consensus on establishing a National Population Commission under the leadership of the prime minister, with representation from all four provinces. Minister Iqbal instructed the stakeholders that the proposed commission be tasked with setting targets, ensuring accountability, and driving a unified national strategy on population management. The minister said that population is a provincial subject after 18th amendment, and provinces are responsible for service delivery in family planning and reproductive health, population dynamics affect national priorities. 'Without national coordination and strategic alignment, fragmented efforts will continue to under deliver.' The minister also highlighted that Pakistan's population challenge poses numerous problems in the lives of millions of young people entering adulthood 'without access to quality education, skills training, or meaningful employment.' 'Population planning has far-reaching consequences on all aspects of a citizen's life—health, education, employment. Everything depends on the size of the family,' said Iqbal. Highlighting the demographic challenge, he noted that Pakistan is now the fifth most populous country in the world, with 80 per cent of the population under the age of 40 and 66 per cent below 30. 'These figures are alarming,' he said, stressing that the federal and provincial governments must work in unison to address the growing crisis. The meeting brought together key stakeholders from government and international organisations, including Health Minister Mustafa Kemal, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson of BISP, and Senator Sherry Rehman who attended online. Dr Zeba Sattar, Country Director of the Population Council; Dr Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Representative in Pakistan; Dapeng Lu, WHO Representative; Dr Samia Rizwan from Maternal Newborn and Child Health Project, UNICEF; and Dr Soofia, DG Population, Ministry of Health participated in the meeting. Provincial health secretaries and population welfare department directors also attended online. Planning Minister's Member Social Sector Dr Saima Bashir coordinated the meeting and presented a briefing during which she stated that key facts. Forty percent of our population has never attended school, and only 25 percent of women are in the labour force, she stated. Emphasising on the structural problem in the current National Finance Commission Award Formula, he stated that the criteria of 82 per cent provincial share based on population size creates a perverse disincentive for provinces. The current criteria mean that reducing population growth could reduce the future fiscal allocations of provinces. The minister further said, 'Without revisiting this formula, provincial commitment to population stabilisation will remain weak.' Federal Minister Iqbal directed the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to provide disaggregated data by province to identify problem areas more precisely. He stated that the results of Digital Census of 2023 showed that Pakistan's population has now reached 241.49 million, with a growth rate of 2.55 per cent. This marks a significant increase of 33.82 million people since the 2017 census. The meeting discussed Planning Ministry's proposal for creation of a high-powered commission led by the prime minister and comprising all four chief ministers to tackle the unprecedented problem of population management. Senator Sherry Rehman underscored the urgency of the population growth crisis, stating, 'Every 50 minutes, a woman in Pakistan loses her child during childbirth.' She supported the creation of a high-powered commission led by the prime minister and comprising all four Chief ministers, noting that a national emergency could be declared after its first meeting. The fragmentation of responsibilities following the 18th Amendment was cited by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar as a major obstacle. He also stressed that the influence of religious clerics continues to hinder population control efforts and advocated for area-specific campaigns targeting rural women at places like utility stores, basic health units, and markets. 'With 54 million TikTok users in Pakistan, social media is an untapped asset for public service messaging,' he added. Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf supported leveraging the Council of Common Interests and religious leadership to promote responsible family planning. Senator Rubina Khalid called for a wide-reaching awareness drive led by the Ministry of Information and offered BISP's support for counselling and outreach across the country. 'We must raise this issue at every forum, including Parliament,' she said. Dr Zeba Sattar noted that previous task forces lacked executive power and therefore failed to create meaningful impact. 'It's not about individual effort; we need institutional strength and mandate,' she stated. Dr Samia Rizwan of UNICEF warned that maternal and newborn health campaigns often fail to reach grassroots levels and highlighted the staggering figure of 30 newborn deaths every hour. 'Government investment is crucial. The process starts before a child is born. Communities must be made custodians of the issue,' she said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
