Quetta:Speakers expressed concerns over the rising maternal mortality due to unsafe delivery is a vital issue, and stressed that accessible, safe reproductive healthcare must be a priority.
Speakers highlighted that health facilities nationwide must integrate contraceptive care services. ‘Lack of counselling is a major contributor to unsafe delivery, so it’s essential to educate people about contraceptive options and make them widely accessible,’ they said while addressing a consultative session.
The speakers included Balochistan and Sindh Parliamentarian, Bureaucrats, Health Practitioners and officials of the Population Council, said a news release.
Addressing the session, Dr. Pechuho highlighted the need to significantly increase the number of community health workers, underscoring how this shortage affects the quality and reach of healthcare. She also raised concerns about the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, suggesting that it should better incentivize health and population welfare improvements
by rewarding provinces with strong health indicators with legislative representation.
The event presented findings from the Population Council’s national study, which highlights critical gaps in Pakistan’s reproductive healthcare. The report is especially timely as Pakistan faces significant reproductive health challenges, with a population growth rate of 2.55% annually and stagnant contraceptive use.
Approximately 17.3% of women report an unmet need for family planning, leading to high rates of unintended pregnancies.
Country Director of the Population Council, Dr. Zeba Sathar stressed that while Pakistan has made healthcare advancements, ensuring women’s access to family planning and safe reproductive health services remains critical. ‘Empowering women with access to family planning and safe healthcare services is key not only to better health outcomes but also to broader social and economic progress,’ she remarked.
The event included a panel discussion, ‘Safeguarding Women’s Health in Pakistan,’ modera
ted by Dr. Yasmeen Sabeeh Qazi, CEO of QZ Catalyst, Esteemed panelists, including Prof. Dr. Azra Ahsan, President of the Association for Mothers and Newborns (AMAN), Prof. Dr. Nusrat Shah, Vice Chancellor of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University; Dr. Bushra Liaqat, Head of Department at Kohi Goth Hospital Karachi; and Sara Malkani, Reproductive Health Rights Legal Advisor, discussed barriers to reproductive healthcare.
They emphasized the importance of education, healthcare reform, and policy advocacy to create a safer, healthier environment for women.
The study recommends that public and private health facilities be fully staffed and equipped to provide services according to the Government of Pakistan’s national guidelines and standards for uterine evacuation and post-delivery care.
Provincial health and population welfare representatives from Sindh and Balochistan participated in a panel moderated by Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Vice Chancellor of SZABIST University.
Sindh’s Population Welfar
e Secretary, Hafiz Abdul Hadi Bullo, highlighted that promoting family planning can reduce abortion rates, while Balochistan’s Population Welfare Secretary, Abdullah Khan, discussed his department’s efforts to introduce child marriage restraint legislation and expand family planning services at the community level.
The event reflected a shared commitment to strengthening reproductive healthcare in Pakistan and underscored the critical role of collaboration among the government, international partners, and health organizations in addressing urgent health needs for women across the country.