Govt to integrate family planning services into health system: Zafar

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Thursday said that the government was committed to integrate family planning services into health system to make it easily available and accessible for people.

Addressing the seminar held here in connection with World Population Day, Dr Zafar Mirza asked the civil society organizations and the private sector to partner with government in improving the quality of life of future generation and ensure social uplift.

He said that the government was providing family planning services as envisaged in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) - Plan of action. He added population programme in Pakistan was progressing towards demographic targets in collaboration with its partners from both public and private sector.

He said that the government was according highest level priority to population issue and deploying efforts to reduce population growth rate for health of mothers, children and families and the prosperity of the country by reducing the impending burden on the country’s resources.

He said that World Population Day is also observing in Pakistan to highlight the significance of addressing various dimensions of the population to help Pakistan to embark on path of socio economic progress and prosperity.

He said that today Pakistan with a population of over 207 million is one of the most populous countries of the world and it has an alarming high growth rate (PGR) of 2.4% per annum that is devouring the country’s resources.

He said that the slow progress made by Pakistan in decelerating fertility rate, mortality rates of mothers and children and improving contraceptive prevalence rate is a clear evidence that these challenges continue to confront Pakistan today.

Dr Zafar Mirza said that the family planning is being addressed s one of the priority issues by the government. “We are placing emphasis on reducing infant, child and maternal mortality rates that will prevent the deaths of one million or more children under five year of age.

He said that this year the theme for World Population day is “25 years of the ICPD: accelerating the promise” in reference to the summit of world leaders on population being held in November this year in Nairobi.

The summit would take stock of the progress made by 179 countries which adopted Plan of Action of International Conference on Population and Development, he added.

He said that it is high time to create awareness in masses on population and development issues and enhanced cooperation of all segments of society in government’s endeavor to achieve the goal of replacement level fertility.

He assured full commitment of the government to the cause of population and development and urged all members of society to join hands to effect change. He also assured to provide access to reproductive health services and family planning services across the country.

He said that the Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the federal task force on alarming high population growth rate to be participated by all the Chief Ministers  and the Prime  Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.  The meeting will take major decisions that will have far reaching impact in addressing the population issue.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Sania Nishtar said “We need to recognize that immediate and sustained attention and concerted efforts by all segments of the society is the best way to address the challenge of population growth on war footing basis.”

She said that there is a strong and unflinching political commitment to address these challenges and allocating adequate resources to achieve the desired targets. She assured that the government will accelerate its efforts to complete its agenda and achieve its goals and targets.